I Remember You
by Retired1984
Summary: What could have happened in Beckett's wild child years and how might it affect her later if she met Castle during this time. Kate explores her inner wild phase before and during her first year of college. My take on an AU where exactly that happens. Hope you enjoy. Rated M for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my very first fan fiction ever, so please be honest with any reviews. I have wondered for years about Beckett's confessed wild child years, but they have never been addressed on the show. What would have happened if Kate had met Rick during this time and how would it have affected them later on. This is truly AU, so don't flame me on my take on those years. Hope you find it a good read**

He walked out of the attorney's office in a daze not sure what exactly his future held now.

He knew that she was not as faithful as he wanted but always clung to the belief that she would settle down once they had a child. Before she got pregnant, the life had been fast and hard, late, late nights at parties and movie premieres and most of the time nearly blind drunk once they got home. Then the world all changed when the little white plastic strip read "Yes".

Now what do they do?

He knew immediately that he would take the honorable path and marry her for the sake of the child and his own sanity. He was, despite his tabloid persona, an old fashioned man with the corresponding associated values about family. However, his wife did not agree with the path he had chosen. So that fateful night when he had come home from the publishing company to find his two year old daughter in tears in her bed as his wife lustfully rode her new director on their own bed in their own room, he had had enough. Rearing up with righteous indignation, he sent her packing, hoping to never see her again.

So, in the matter of the dissolution of the marriage of Richard Castle and Meredith Castle, the judge had found for the defendant and granted the divorce, awarding full and sole custody of their minor daughter to the ex-husband.

Thus, Richard Castle finds himself meandering down the sidewalk with nowhere to go and all day to get there. He has no wife, girlfriend or any true friends to speak of that he can spend time with, especially on this afternoon. Eventually, he is headed home to his daughter, all he has left in the world save his live-in mother, a very large loft and an even bigger bank account. None of which offers him warmth or comfort in the aftermath of his encounters in the courtroom.

* * *

About the same time, a young beautiful girl is living the time of her life, being the center of attention at all her high school parties and is truly relishing her freedom and her wild child years.

She is planning a career along the same path as her mother, law school at Stanford and then on to be the first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. But now, she is savoring the carefree life that beauty and poise along with the benefits of a semi-wealthy family life afforded by the two lawyer careers of her parents can bring her.

She doesn't have a worry in the world.

She is blessed with the genetics of both her mother and father, tall, possessing the hauntingly stunning looks of a leggy supermodel, long brunette hair that naturally hangs in soft curls around her face, a figure that is the envy of all her girlfriends and elicits the leers and lusty remarks of the guys, along with the intelligence of a lawyer or other professional.

All the boys around her want and desire her, and she relishes the attention it brings. She carries her slim body erect and proud, her breasts, small but not too much, are firm and full with the advantage of not having lost the war with gravity yet. Her rear end is full and firm sitting atop her long legs, ever the enticement in the skinny jeans that she always wears.

Because of this appearance she portrays, she has been approached by an agency scout to work the summer months as a catalog model in Los Angeles. Not liking the offer but not to deter her from the life she wants, her parents reluctantly agree to allow her to work the summer in L.A. she thinks this is just the opportunity she needs to spread her wings as she wants and to experience the wilder side of her personality. She will be living in the land of fast cars and beautiful women, joining them and giving them all a run for their money. She can compete with any and all of the models that will be working for the agency and she knows it. She can't wait to get to the West Coast and begin to thoroughly profit from her looks, her attitude and her freedom.

Kate Beckett will take California by storm.

* * *

His life is a continuum of daily Dad chores, joys and activities. He truly delights in the liberty to enjoy daily life with his daughter since his chosen profession is a murder mystery writer allows him to do just that.

His publisher has saddled him with the moniker of Master of the Macabre. It fits him well since he has gained both wealth from his writing and notoriety as The Ledger's Page Six playboy, appearing nearly every week with a new, usually blond, starlet or society girl on his arm. Most of this is pure hype heaped on him by his publishing company and his agent since the badboy image and publicity keeps him in the public's attention and helps to sell his books.

His true character is the one where he spends his time cooking for his daughter, playing in the park with her as weather permits or reveling in a game of laser tag when it doesn't. He delights in the movie marathon evenings he has with Alexis, now five, usually a Disney or other child film of her choosing. He knows all the characters and all the dialogue, since his daughter is the one good thing he has in his life, the one good thing he has ever done with his life. Whatever it takes to keep her happy and grounded, he will do.

She also keeps him in line since she is probably as much of an adult as he is at times, schooling him on her bedtimes and eating habits; "Dad, I am not eating whipped cream from the can". She is precocious in some terms, having already learned her father's passion for literature and many other forms of the arts.

Rick is a child in an adult's body sometimes and therefore he is the perfect companion for his daughter. However, he is one hundred percent the protective parent should the need arise. Don't mess with my daughter or risk the wrath of the 6 foot 2 inch tall mass of unwavering, unrelenting parental force. Don't Mess With My Family he menacingly projects should the need arise.

Bottom line, he takes care of business. However, along with the comfortable easy going family man is a mann with a hope and desire to find someone, somewhere to genuinely care about, to trust and to eventually love with all his heart. That woman would have to first and foremost be faithful to him as he would be to her, to cherish his daughter just as he does, to love him for who he is and not for his bank account. He needs to be able to fully bestow his love on someone that appreciates him for the man behind the mask and not for the fame he basks in due to his success as a writer. He wants a good woman who is good to him and for him.

* * *

Now in L.A., she immediately takes the modeling world by storm. She struts the studio with the power and authority of one who has been there for years and not just weeks, not at all daunted by the cattiness and backstabbing of the "lesser" models. She exudes the self-confidence and authority of one who is at the top of her profession and carries herself with the posture and bearing afforded the rank of only the select few. She immediately garners the top wage and best assignments given only to the elite of her chosen field.

However, she soon finds that modeling is a grueling profession and demands long hours and little control of her destiny. She realizes that she is often treated as just a piece of meat or a walking clothes rack, prodded and pulled, poked and pushed, many times in nearly no clothes, with no reason other than the whim of the designer or photographer.

She loves the job, but her wilder side is still craving the release of the lifestyle of the rich and famous. She finds that hard to do when she is only eighteen and working daily for a living as a model. She needs to find something else that can fill this longing in her being, scratch the itch she felt during her imaginings of L.A. during her time back in New York before migrating to California.

She has the entire summer to enjoy on her own and working only as a model is not her vision of that summer before going off to college at Stanford. Yes she got into this prestigious law school. With this in mind, she starts questioning the other models about the lifestyle and nightlife that L.A. can offer her.

What is it she can do to get out and experience the style and revelry that comes along with the Hollywood image of the West Coast? She wants to live the life of recklessness and relish the fruits of her youth before the rigors of college life weigh her down.

If there is one thing that Kate Beckett does, it is once she makes up her mind to tackle something, she does it completely and with absolute determination.

She talks to her best friend, a model with more experience but fewer fealties than that bestowed on Kate at this time. Her friend suggests that she go with her and some of the other models to the top clubs around, those only celebrities can get into. Kate immediately agrees and that Friday goes to her apartment after her modeling session are over to prepare for her night out with the girls.

How to dress?

She wants to have fun, be out on the town and enjoy herself with abandon. She dresses for the part, donning a short tight club dress that is deep red, almost burgundy and covered with small sequins that will glitter in the spotlights of the dance floor. It is slit up the left side of the skirt, leaving most of the long expanse of her thigh exposed.

Her legs are one of her best assets and she knows to go with her strengths. The skirt is only about six inches or so below the curve of her hips and shows her expansive thighs to the best benefit. The top is low cut in the back and has a deep v cut in the front, exposing enough cleavage to be truly enticing, but still covering sufficiently to keep the mystery of her breathtaking figure alive. Of course, the cut leaves no choice of wearing a bra, not that she needs it to start with.

Under the dress, she opts to go without panties or a thong, delighting in the sensation of naughtiness and mischief the lack of this restriction affords. She is, in all senses of the word, truly magnificent.

She applies her makeup to compliment her high prominent cheekbones and smoky hazel-green eyes to perfection, highlighting the flecks of brown and gold. Her lips are a dusty rose and are tempting in any light or place. Set to tackle any world or universe, Kate is on the prowl, ready for whatever the evening has to offer up for her pleasure.

Now was her time to begin to roar. She is a fantasy on two legs, a specter of a life no man can dream to experience but all desire to try. She personifies the unattainable that her status as a top model demands. She embodies that perfection that comes only with the confidence and assurance that one is truly at the pinnacle of the cosmos in which she revolves.

She is truly a Wild Child tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Don't now, never will, wish I did. A very special thank you to purplangel for her support, encouragement and tutelage in helping get me through the pangs of a new endeavor. Thank You.**

The edits of his latest book in the Storm series are done and in and accepted by the editor and publisher so he is preparing for the introduction galas for the launch of the book. This year the primary launch party is to be held in L.A. since the book is set mostly in Hollywood. The parties are designed to be extravagant to ensure the success of the book launch and to cement Rick's reputation as a world class writer and a first rate playboy. All the press from the entertainment world and most of the daily periodicals will be in attendance, as well as most of the Hollywood elite.

Rick has never had a launch party this elaborate and is becoming more and more excited to attend. He enjoys the attention his fame and notoriety brings and wants to fully explore the entire experience. Hollywood plays right into his image and he will fit into the crowd seamlessly. No one is as good at working a crowd or schmoozing with the society types as he is. He walks into the room and if the party is not in full swing, it soon will be.

He has the natural charm and relaxed attitude that immediately puts all those he encounters at ease. He could sell ice cubes to a polar bear when he is in the zone. He plans to be 110% in the zone with these parties. Since his divorce proceedings, he has been in a dark place, not the most conducive environment for his happiness or that of his 5 year old daughter. He has brooded long enough about his divorce with Meredith and now needs to get back on the horse, so to speak. He needs to bring himself out of the funk and back in to the arena of laser tag and corner ice cream store with his daughter. He has been sad long enough. This series of launch parties will be just what he needs to rise again.

* * *

In this same time frame, Kate has been enjoying the good life the modeling success allows her. She is working as many as six days a week, but is becoming more selective in her gigs, taking only the top jobs for the best photographers. Along with all of this, she has been having the time of her life in the side world of Hollywood and L.A. nightlife. She and her friends are becoming well known in the nightclub circuit and never have to wait for entrance into any chosen club or for recognition or attention once in the club. She is living the whirlwind of Hollywood and has attracted a lot of "fame" and popularity in the short amount of time she has been out west.

She walks into a club after a particularly trying day and week and is met with the hard driving bass beat of the club music, being spun by one of the top DJ's in the city. The DJ is 26 years old, once a music major at UCLA and is one of the top female music celebrities in the circuit. She knows all the major players in the club scene and most of those that attend the clubs religiously. Kate is no stranger to her. During a break, the DJ seeks Kate out for a private talk.

The DJ knows about Kate's success as a model and how she looks in clothes that are quite revealing. She takes notice of the abandon that Kate exudes when she is in the club, dancing to every song and grinding out the bass on whichever dance partner she happens to be with at the time. She never lacks for a partner, attracting the cream of the crop with her good looks, short tight dresses and stripper heels. She is the choice of anyone looking for a dance or might desperately be hoping for more. Kate is not the type though to go home with any creep she meets at a club. She likes a good time, but still controls her own destiny. With this in mind, the DJ, Dani, starts her conversation and her proposal.

Dani sits down to talk with Kate and compliments her on her dance prowess and on the way she both looks and moves. The classical dance training and her modeling experience both enhance the allure she has on the dance floor. She moves with the grace and confidence of a prima ballerina, but still exudes the sexiness and allure and just a little of the naughtiness of a down and dirty street dancer. Kate is the complete package as a club dancer, and Dani recognizes the potential in her.

"Kate, I have something I want to talk to you about", Dani begins. "I have a friend that is in the entertainment business and he owns several clubs in the L.A. and Sacramento area. I understand you are going to Stanford this fall and because of that I have a proposition for you. A few of the clubs my friend owns are high class exotic dance clubs. These are not the average strip club, but are true Gentlemen's Clubs. The clientele is admitted by reference and by membership only. These are not the "grab you every time you pass" type of crass mouth-breather. Most are professionals such as lawyers or doctors or other similar profession. Many profit from owning their own businesses or on-line ventures. These are the cream of the crop of eligible men in their respective areas. I think you could do quite well as a dancer in one of his clubs. If you are interested, I can make the introductions, and then after that, it is all on you."

Kate is taken by surprise at both the accolades that Dani is heaping on her and by the suddenness and the somewhat bizarre offer. She is literally without words, not knowing how to respond to Dani's comments. "Take your time to think about it, Kate", Dani returns, "and get back to me by this next Friday with your answer. I can make the arrangements with him, but the offer does have a time limit. His openings do not stay vacant for long. I do not profit from this offer except in the delight of seeing someone as talented as you get the opportunity to excel as a dancer. You will be a natural and, Oh, by the way, the pay would be awesome."

Kate went back to the dance floor after her conversation with Dani and immediately was surrounded by guys wanting to snuggle up with her on the floor. However, she was in sort of a daze thinking back to what Dani had said. She wondered about 'The pay would be awesome' and just what that meant. Guess she could always check it out to determine what Dani was referring. She would need all the money she could get to lead a relaxed life while in college, even though her parents were paying for her education.

Kate had never been shy about her figure. She knew she was attractive and a lot of that was due to her supermodel body. Could she actually strip in a club, displaying her body to a bunch of men, no matter how exclusive the club was? First of all, she would have to be certain the club was safe and no illicit drug or prostitution trade was taking place. She was not a prude, but she absolutely not getting involved in a police bust. The next was to determine what the demands of the job might be. Did she only dance on the stage; was there a real stage; how many nights a week would she be required to dance; how long each evening would she be required to be there? The list goes on. And last, but definitely not least, what would be the expected pay?

Kate pondered on these questions over the next week along with reconciling the fact that she would be dancing at least partially naked in front of strangers. She was pretty sure she could dance nude after her current stint as a model, sometimes modeling lingerie or less. She was proud of her figure and her haunting, sultry good looks and had worked hard over the years to achieve and maintain her rock hard body. She also knew that she could use her good looks to her advantage, pretty much getting anything she could possibly desire.

Another aspect she was considering was how this "opportunity" would work into her search for wild child experiences and how it might affect her future as an attorney. Since the club was top shelf and secure (so she thought), she felt that if she used a pseudonym for her act, she could be protected from undue notoriety.

She could always ask when she checked out the club after talking to Dani again. She made arrangements to meet with her at her nightclub the next week. To be truthful, she was getting excited about the prospects of being a high end exotic dancer. She was not a drug addled stripper working for her next hit; she was a proud attractive dancer who could prove that class could exist in these clubs.

She would definitely pursue the next steps with Dani and then maybe visit the club.

* * *

Meanwhile, Castle was preparing to embark on the book launch tour on the West Coast. He had arranged for his mother to stay at his loft to watch over Alexis while he was gone on the tour. He was scheduled by Black Pawn, his publishing company to be on an initial three week tour, hitting all the main cities on the West Coast before making his way back home, stopping at many large cities for book signings. All told, he would be gone four and half weeks. He did not like to leave Alexis for that long, but sometimes the job demanded his absence. He would still miss his little girl though since she was the light of his life, bringing the only joy to his daily routine other than writing. He knew he had to make these pilgrimages to maintain his career and to ensure that Alexis had the future he had only dreamed of as a child.

He considered himself very lucky that he had fallen into the success he was now experiencing. His childhood was not one that would be considered normal. He was the son of an actress and had no idea who his father was or where he was. His mother was a great actress, but even then, the life was grueling. He spent most of his young life either killing time backstage or reading in the local libraries of whatever small hamlet they might be in at the time. He would find himself lost in an adventure that could only be experienced through the universe of the book he was reading. He could spin the tale as rich and wonderful as he could imagine. The time he spent in libraries instilled in him the love of the written word and fostered his desire to become a writer. He was good at it and loved the fact he could express himself on the page as he did.

He worked himself from an almost penniless, almost orphan to a man who had taken the center spotlight as a best-selling author. Because of this, he was secure financially and could work from home and spend time with Alexis. Having this life, it was difficult to leave and travel for as long as he was being asked this time. He would make sure he called Alexis often while he was on the road and send her little gifts to brighten her days during his absence. He thought he was ready to go, having spoken to Alexis about why he had to leave and when he would be back.

He left the next day for L.A.

* * *

The day Rick left for L.A. was the day Kate went back to speak to Dani at the club She had most of her questions outlined in her mind and knew what answers she needed before deciding to go ahead with the adventure.

Tonight would be the night that her future, unbeknownst to her, would be set in motion. Talk about shadowy tangled webs being woven.

Dani had arranged for the owner of the clubs to meet with Kate at midnight on that Friday. He was a tall slim man in his late 50's, dressed impeccably. He wore a crisp burgundy shirt under a black tailored suit that exuded wealth and privilege. He answered Kate's questions without hesitation and without pretense. His manner was one of ease and confidence in the dealings of his work and his life. He explained to Kate that his dream when he was younger was to develop and own a chain of high class clubs that would bring back some of the mystery and glory of the days of the exotic dancer. He specifically mentioned individuals as Gypsy Rose Lee, Tempest Storm and Lili St. Cyr, among others. These were dancers first and foremost with an air of aloofness that stirred the yearnings and imagination of the audience. They were a myth, a mystery that could not be solved, a goal that would not be obtained, the apex of their art. This dream was what he had imagined and managed to fulfill with the clubs he had founded. His were true Gentlemen's Clubs.

Kate was at once entranced with the dream and the description of his club. She asked what she would be required to do if she decided to audition at the club. The owner indicated that she would be asked to dance for him and the top dancers in the local home club to determine her actual dance qualifications and also her stage presence as she moved through her dance routine. Did she have the persona and ambiance demanded in the elite club? Kate was sure she could meet these requirements so long as the club was as Dani and the owner had described. So, she set a date for an audition and went about getting her outfits ready for her dance before the owner and other dancers. She would dance for them next week in a private setting.

Rick was on his way to the West Coast and Kate was putting the final touches on a dance routine she had done in modern dance (with her clothes on then) and felt she could perform flawlessly in the new setting.

The wheels of destiny had been set in motion, providence was waiting, Kismet was about to be fulfilled.

**A/N: Thanks to all who have taken the time to review and/ or comment on my first chapter. All were extremely helpful and I thank you again for the reviews.**


	3. Chapter 3: Kate's Audition

**A/N: As last time, they're not mine. Sometimes I can get to come out and play though. Finally, Kate's audition at the Gentlemen's Club. **

Kate hopped a cab and followed Dani's direction to the Gentlemen's club where she had her audition scheduled. The owner and two of his top dancers were to be her jury. She would have to be at her best to ensure herself a job at the club. Her nerves were starting to fire, her adrenalin was pumping and she was becoming more and more excited about this opportunity to try something new, something a little wild and definitely out of her comfort zone. Being out of her comfort zone was the reason Kate had accepted this audition and why she was so excited for the opportunity. These kinds of breaks were why she had come to L.A. She wanted to experience fun activities that were a stretch for her, actions that she would not do at home but wanted to intimately experience before buckling down to the mundane studies at college. (Maybe she could continue this dancing at the club in San Francisco).

All too soon she arrived at the club and her nerves were really starting to show. She tried valiantly to get them under control but finally realized the nervousness she felt was actually allowing her to keep her edge on the task at hand. She was going into the club with one goal in mind, to be the top dancer at the club in only one week. She knew she had the looks, had the figure and had the attitude to achieve her goal. All she had to do was perform her routine without waver and the job was hers.

Kate had brought her own dance outfit with her so she knew there would be no issues around fit and function. Her entire persona depended on her attire and her music. She herself was flawless and the rest had to meet the same standard. She would be untouchable when she was on the stage. Now was her time.

Kate entered the club after explaining to the doorman she was here for an audition and asked for the owner. The club was mainly two sections, one a sitting room where elegantly appointed chairs and tables adorned the room. The immaculate hardwood floor was covered with what looked like authentic Arabian rugs, probably were. A mahogany circular bar was centered in the middle of the room and attractive waitresses were serving drinks to the gentlemen. They were tastefully attired with only a classy demeanor apparent in all of them. This was no regular strip club, she thought.

The second section was a theatre that reminded Kate of old time burlesque theatres. The stage was raised and had a circular form that allowed the dancers to move into the crowd below. The lighting was perfect for enhancing the mystique of the dancers on the stage. There was no pole to detract from the purpose of the stage which was to fully put on display the sultry appearance of the dancers.

One of the dancers, a woman of about 28-30 years old with a Cosmopolitan face and figure met her in the club and led her to the owner's table, front and center to the raised stage. She sat down with him and the two dancers to discuss her audition. The second of the two dancers asked about Kate's costume and Kate told her she had her own costume and was supplying her own music. The club owner told her that was OK for the audition, but during regular club hours, there was a small ensemble that would provide live music of her choice for her performances. Kate was duly impressed. The owner asked her if she had any questions and she inquired if he needed an all nude performance for the audition. He indicated affirmatively. She said she didn't have any further questions other than where the dressing rooms were so she could change before dancing. She wanted to get on with it, aching to perform for the audience of three and tech staff. She knew she was better looking than either of the other two, so if these were the two top dancers, she only had to perform her routine flawlessly and she would be in for sure, probably as the headliner. She was confident in her dance capabilities and her impeccable countenance.

One of the dancers took her backstage to the dressing rooms. Each dancer had their own room and Kate was shown to an empty one, previously occupied by a dancer that had left the club to marry and start a family. This is why there was an opening for a new dancer. Dani's information and timing was right on, knowing that the opening was there but would not be for long. These were the best jobs in the exotic dance circuit in both L.A. and San Francisco. Kate was glad she had been at Dani's club that evening two weeks ago.

* * *

Rick had landed at LAX and was on his way to the hotel where he would be staying for the duration of his visit to L.A. Of course, it was a five star hotel and he was in the executive suite, all amenities provided. He made his way to the room, unpacked and got comfortable before the evenings activities commenced. The launch was to be held in the Grand Ballroom of his hotel and he had plenty of time to get something to eat and relax before putting on his playboy character. Since his time was free and was his to use as he was fit, he spent it the only way he felt comfortable, calling Alexis to talk about his flight and anything she wanted to talk about. She asked how big the plane was, did it go fast, did he have a pretty rom to stay in and when would he be home. She was a big girl, but she missed her Daddy when he was traveling. She really liked her grandmother, but it wasn't the same as her dad.

Rick talked to her for nearly an hour before he had to start preparations for the launch party. He had to look especially handsome (ruggedly, so he thought) to maintain the image that the publishing company wanted him to brandish during the party. All of the Hollywood select would be there along with some of the giants in the writing field, giants such as Patterson, Lehane and King. He would have to be in his rarest form to ensure a fitting launch of his latest installment in the Storm series. He needed to cement his stature as one of the leading mystery literature writers. This would be a snap for him, feeding right into his strengths as a crowd pleaser and party animal. Didn't hurt anything this was his best book yet for Derrick Storm.

Rick was ready well ahead of time, dressed to perfection in his custom fitted Armani tux and his trademark sandalwood cologne. He was at once, all man with a side of order of Rick Castle, the Master of the Macabre. Look out Hollywood, here comes Castle.

Rick was summoned by Paula, his agent, and as escorted by her and two of the hotel security men, big hulking bruisers. They exuded the "Look but Don't Touch" attitude that was meant to ensure Rick's safety from anyone who would present a danger to him. Who knows when a crazed fan would become a little too enthusiastic and begin to believe Rick was hers/his? Not tonight, Paula was guaranteeing. This was to be Rick's night and no unwanted negative publicity was to happen.

* * *

As Rick walked into the Grand Ballroom, Kate was walking onto the stage at the club for her audition. Asked how she was to be referred to on the marquee, she simply and quietly said, "Emerald". She handed the tech guy her music and he waited until she was in place and ready. Kate was a heavenly vision. She wore a deep emerald full length dress with a slit up the left leg to her upper thigh. The dress was covered with very tiny sequins that sparkled in the lighting, giving off the sensation Emerald was glowing herself, just as an Emerald should. She wore elbow length gloves the same shade as her gown but no sequins. Her shoes, 5 inch Jimmy Choos , assured her stature as a goddess on the stage, elevating her to a height of 6"2'. To enhance the opulent and untouchable air, she wore an Emerald necklace given to her on her eighteenth birthday by her mother, stating Kate truly was a gem in her eyes. Underneath it all, she wore an emerald lace bra and matching lace thong.

She motioned the tech to start her music. The theater was filled with the hauntingly beautiful strains of Ravel's "Bolero", probably one of the most sensuous, erotic songs ever written. It floated out over the stage and into the theater like a phantom, moving into and out of the psyche of all who were there to heed the call of the Sirens. Emerald had captured the soul of the audience without moving a muscle. Then, as she started to move to the evocatively compelling notes of her chosen music, she seemed to float on the stage, not appearing to move at all, hovering as a specter in a dream. Her stage presence was overpowering, causing any and all to breathe only to her movement, commanded to follow her every action as if in a trance. She was a master of the stage, sensuously wafting as mist in the wind, not requiring worldly effort to progress. She shifted from place to place on the stage as if without bodily motion, traversing as in the ethers of the mist. As she elegantly danced, her dress seemed to disappear as if suddenly made invisible by an apparition, no one even noticing how it happened, so enthralled in her performance they were. She glided over the stage as if she were on ice, not seeming to need any force to move. She drifted in her bra and panties for a time, absolutely bewitching those in attendance as she swayed to the soulful harmony. And then she was half nude. How did that happen, her bra snatched away by the same apparition as had taken her dress? Now Emerald was the master of the moment, moving to the still hauntingly seductive melody of her chosen music, with a grace and poise only seen when the legends of burlesque performed. She performed flawlessly seemingly unaware of her near total nudity. Unashamed of her exposure, she danced for the owner, instilling in him the feeling she danced for him alone. Such was the power of her performance.

She performed in a place where only she existed, where only she could understand her allure, only she was in the moment, all other worldly encumbrances fallen away. Emerald existed for the sheer sake of her own existence…and it was overpowering. Emerald just, was.

This was 'the' single performance the owner had dreamed of when he envisioned his original concept of the clubs. He knew within his heart and soul Emerald was his new headliner, the elite of his stage. The other dancers knew it also, watching in awe at the ease and delicacy of her stunning masterpiece of dance.

As if understanding the thoughts of the owner, Emerald glided from the mist of the stage completely nude, drifting as on vapor, tall and proud, without awkwardness or modesty, the exquisite pinnacle of grace and allure. She stood as an angel, An Emerald adorned only with an Emerald. She had assured her rightful place in the club and in the hearts and desires of all who would have the good fortune to behold her. She was truly extraordinary.

She took her bows, collected her accolades and retired from the stage, never breaking character as the untouchable, unaffordable, forbidden Emerald.

Now she was the myth, the mystery that could not be solved, the goal that would not be obtained, the apex of her art. She was the epitome of all that could be defined as desire. She was, simply stated,** Emerald.**

**A/N: If you are not familiar with Ravel's haunting melody, look up Ravel's Bolero on You Tube and listen. It is absolutely the most sensuous refrain you can experience. **


	4. Chapter 4

Kate returns to the owners table to ask of his assessment of her audition (she already knows) and the owner is absolutely speechless, still spellbound by Emerald's performance. He tells Kate she has the job and wonders if she would be available for a performance at the club at midnight that very night. Kate is ecstatic, of course, and indicates she can make it at that time. She asks about compensation and is told she can set her own price for the evening as long as she performs the exact routine she just performed for her audition, understanding the ensemble will be providing the music. Emerald agrees so long as the music is exactly as she provided earlier, except for being performed live. "Not a problem," the owner says since the musicians are the very best his quite generous compensation demands. He then tells her he has some very important acquaintances that will be there around midnight and he wants her to perform for them. It is quite the honor and she can tell the other dancers are already showing a little jealously of the attention she is receiving. Kate tells him she will be back at half past eleven to prepare for the midnight dance.

Kate is overjoyed and she leaves her costume in her dressing room, locking the door before heading off to tell Dani of her success.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rick is just entering the Ballroom for his grand entrance into his launch party. Tonight is all about Rick Castle, Master of the Macabre. He delights in the attention and basks in the raves of the attendees. He immediately finds Patterson and Lehane who have obviously laid claim to the free bar. They are in rare form and are looking to give Rick a hard time even as they praise his work. They speak highly of his novels, but will never admit it to him.

"Hey, Rick," asks Patterson, "Still riding the tired Storm horse? Isn't it about time to put him out to pasture and get a new idea for a change?"

Rick immediately retorts, "This coming from the author of Alex Cross? How many books has he been in and how weary is the readership of his exploits?"

James simply smiles and says, "Just for your information, he just bought me my own private jet. Maybe someday I'll let you tag along, if you think you can keep up?" Rick laughs heartily along with the rest of the writers in attendance. Rick can dish it out with the best of them, but can take as he gives also. He's not yet done with James for the evening.

Rick passes smoothly throughout the audience and hobnobs comfortably with the rich and famous of the Hollywood society set. He is in his element. His polished mannerism immediately sets everyone at ease and makes them think they are Rick's one best friend. He instinctively knows what to say and not say to each and every individual he speaks, whether it be the most rich and powerful of the night, the busboy clearing tables or the waitress distributing drinks. Rick remembers his humble beginnings and does not demean the working stiffs. Any job that is done properly is honorable and the person needs to be treated as such. He is friend to all and not just in name.

Later in the evening, Paula comes up to him with an older gentleman in his late 50's. Paula introduces him to Rick and informs him that the gentleman owns several extremely exclusive Gentlemen's Clubs in the area and would like to speak to him about a party he is preparing to honor Rick's successful book launch.

"Good to meet you, Rick, congratulations on the success of your book and it's launch. My name is Mr. Ian Haverson and I own what are considered the best, most exclusive Gentlemen's clubs on the West Coast, probably in the entire U.S. I have recently, just today, in fact hired a new dancer for my flagship club here in L.A. and have arranged for an exclusive dance for you and your friends tonight at midnight. I would be honored if you would consider accompanying me to my club for her debut performance. You can bring your closest writer friends with you. I have transportation for you, so you can enjoy the evening in your own style. Just remember, my clubs are strictly high class, no hijinks are be tolerated. My clientele pay handsomely to have a safe, unobtrusive environment in which to enjoy the best in exotic dancing and top shelf libations. I can assure you will be more than enthralled with her performance. What do you say?"

Rick thinks for just a moment. He knows that attendance at the club would be great for his image, but also understands he is not a true party animal at heart. It is just a ruse for the sake of publicity. However, since the club is very exclusive and Patterson and crew will be coming with him, he only a little reluctantly agrees.

"Mr. Haverson, I will be honored to attend your soiree and will personally bring my select friends to your club tonight for the debut performance of your new entertainer. I hope her performance is as entrancing as you describe. We will be there just before midnight to get settled in and I assure you we will be on our best behavior."

"Very good," Mr. Haverson responds, "I will reserve my finest table and best brandy for you since you are my invited guests. And of course all is on the house. Just announce yourself to the doorman and he will arrange for you and your guests to be escorted to your table. It is my honor to have you as a guest in my club as my wife is a great fan of yours."

"Oh, then I will bring a signed copy of my book for her as a token of my appreciation," Rick says. "See you then."

* * *

Later that night, Paula and Gina, his publisher, corner Rick and tell him the launch has exceeded that of any of his other books and because of this, he has been asked for additional book signings in the L.A. area. Rick agrees so long as it does not extend his absence from Alexis. She is still his highest priority and staying away from her for longer than he originally promised is not negotiable. Both Paula and Gina agreed and left to start planning the logistics of the additional duties for him. Just before they left, he informed them of the commitment he made to Mr. Haverson and he and his closest friends would be leaving around 11:30. Not a problem both of the women agreed since Rick had already more than met his commitments for the launch.

It had been a great night so far and Rick was looking for it to continue at Mr. Haverson's club. Little did he know just how his world and his future would be rocked that night.

* * *

Kate was so excited when she met with Dani later in the evening. She was going on and on about how her audition went and how much the owner liked her dance. She explained a little about her routine and Dani was enthralled with the description, knowing the chosen soulful music well. Kate was all giggly when she explained the owner had asked her back for a special midnight performance for some special guests. Dani told her it was a very unique honor, especially since Kate had just auditioned that very day.

Kate had a couple of drinks and then made her way back to the club. She was more relaxed now since the newness of exotic dancing and the unknown of her audition were behind her. She really looked forward to her next performance… thinking she could do even better than this afternoon.

She asked one of the regular dancers, Stella, if there were many in the club tonight now that it was open to the clientele.

Stella replied, "Oh, the club is filled. Mr. Haverson has been talking up how great your dance was this afternoon and the word has gotten around. Many of the club patrons are here to see the 'new' entertainer. I hope you are up to performing for a packed house. Mr. Haverson has even invited some very special guests for your first public dance. He didn't tell me who they were since that is the policy of the club. If the men want to tell you who they are, then that is at the discretion of the individual. We do run a very exclusive private club. The emphasis is on private and discreet. That is a non-negotiable rule you must understand if you want to be successful here"

Emerald (now that she was in the club) was impressed with the actions of Mr. Haverson inviting special guests for her debut and also had to admit it made her just a bit nervous. She would be dancing for some very important men on her very first night in the club. Well, wasn't that the reason she came here to start with, to experience the very thing this night had in store for her? She made up her mind that she would be the best dancer any of them had ever seen and after seeing her act she would own all their thoughts. She would absolutely control the room.

Stella helped her with her costume and her hair. She decided to put it up for the routine where earlier that day her hair was down, long waves around her shoulders. With her hair up, she looked even more regal than earlier. She applied her make-up to accentuate her features now on prominent display since her hair was out of her face. She applied just a little more eyeliner and shadow than normal to enhance the natural beauty of her eyes. The smokiness of her eyes provided an allure that would be nearly irresistible. That was the look and effect she was going for. Her first dance would be absolutely unforgettable to anyone in the club. Tonight she would shine. Stella told her the special guests were seated at the owners table where he had been earlier today. Mr. Haverson had invited her to dance just for his honored guests so she would give them an unforgettable evening.

What she didn't know is that it would be one she would not forget either.


	5. Chapter 5: Rick Meets Emerald

Rick collected the writers and made his way to the Gentlemen's Club, having been provided transportation by Mr. Haverson. The club wasn't far so they had only time for a single drink in the limo before arriving.

"Good evening," Rick offered to the doorman, "I'm Richard Castle and these gentlemen are my guests. I think you were left instruction by Mr. Haverson to have us escorted to the theater. By the way, you have a very nice club here."

"Thank you for your kind words about our establishment; it is the most discreet club in the area. I welcome you to our institution. Yes, I had been informed of your eminent arrival and all arrangements are in order. If you would follow Brooke, our hostess, she will show you to your table." He motioned to a very attractive well-dressed lady of about 25 years of age to escort Rick and his writers to the table. She led them through large double doors covered with deep red velvet drapes. Very luxurious and reminiscent of the theaters of old Europe. The theater took on the appearance of the elegant opera houses of the genteel societies of the 16th and 17th centuries of Austria. Very elegant, indeed. Mr. Haverson was to be congratulated and Rick would be sure to do so.

They were seated at the most preferred table in the theater and they immediately notice the brandy snifters and the two bottles of aged brandy on the table. Thanking Brooke, they seated themselves and made comfortable for the entertainment to start. Rick was not sure exactly what was to be expected for the evening's revelry. He had, of course, frequented his share of strip clubs in the past and had several wild, drunken evenings amongst the other revelers. Many of these he would rather forget had ever happened. However, he was sure he had never been in an establishment as refined and fashionable as Mr. Haverson's club. His interest had definitely been piqued and he was getting excited to finally see the act the owner had taken delight in describing earlier.

* * *

About this time, the already dim lights lowered even more and a hush fell over the audience. The strains of a haunting ethereal melody engulfed the room and low lighting dawned over the stage. Mist filled the stage and a disembodied voice said, "Gentlemen, for your delight and pleasure, the incomparable, Emerald". Then as if materializing from the ethers, an angelic apparition appeared in the vapor at the rear of the stage. Rick held his breath, never having seen anything like this, never an opening for an act that could rival what he was viewing. The apparition glided into the low lighting and Rick was entranced. Dressed in a remarkable full length emerald sequined gown, the vision on stage was more breathtaking than any supermodel he had ever seen. She was at once angelic and at the same time, possessed a hint of forbidden lust. She was absolutely bewitching. Emerald was the most regal being he had ever been fortunate enough to behold. She was a painting by the Masters, a Rembrandt, a de Vinci, an illusion in all her glory. She was absolutely breathtaking.

Emerald glided over the floor as if not in contact with it, moving with the grace and elegance she had during the audition, but with something more tonight. She danced with an earthy passion and grandeur that had not been seen on the stage in years. Rick was unconditionally mesmerized. He comprehended nothing other than the vision that was Emerald. She controlled his breathing with her moves to the soulful notes as they were offered up by the flute and clarinet from the ensemble. She dominated his thoughts, his desires, his very being. He had never experienced anything like this in his life. She was everyone man's dream, a mystery no one would ever solve, a forbidden unreachable desire.

Emerald danced mimicking her earlier performance, her costume slowly disappearing as if made inexplicably transparent without outside interference. Rick and his writers were hypnotized with the enigma floating on the stage. Emerald was without a doubt, the most beguiling creature they had ever seen. She was the Siren of old, the image of The Birth of Venus, the femme fatale of all the novels ever written. Rick was enraptured with her lure.

Emerald continued her performance, more alluring and elusive than earlier. She was now completely nude, moving with an abandon and release she had never thought possible. She was free and unconstrained, the consummate tease. She commanded the stage, the house and the audience.

This was the power and the abandon she had sought. She had attained her Nirvana. She had captivated her audience as no other had ever approached before tonight. She danced with a sensual domination, entrapping all who were in her realm, in the maelstrom of her sorcery.

She danced for the guests at the owners table, paying special attention to Rick, tantalizing and bewitching them mercilessly. She moved effortlessly on the stage directly over their table, gifting them with the best view in the house. Looking down on them, she was the penultimate of desire, setting the audience and Rick alike ablaze. With her stage presence and the eye contact she had with the audience, coupled with the Siren Song call of her music, every man felt she was dancing for him alone, especially Rick. He thought her name of Emerald was fitting since her eyes were the deepest emerald he had ever seen, absolutely beguiling in their depth and beauty.

But in her command of the moment, she had made eye contact with Rick and felt him look into her soul. She had never experienced a connection like this before, unmistakable, undeniable, unforgettable, an eternity of longing found in that one brief instant. His piercing, blue eyes seemed to capture her very existence, breathing into her the essence of desire the men in the audience were realizing from her dance. She was entranced with him, but also somewhat fearful. How could she reconcile this instantaneous connection with a stranger; a connection that might have the capacity to transform her forever? Such was the power she felt in that momentary glimpse into a universe she had never visited.

Her body was tingling with the passion of her dance; enhanced by the sheer audacity of swaying fully nude so closely to Rick, feeling this unexplainable connection to a man she'd never met. Her nipples pebbled with the excitement of her arousal, her desire causing moisture to pool low in her being. She literally quivered inside with this new emotion she was confronting. What was going on and what did it all mean?

Emerald took her leave of the stage to thunderous applause and acclaim. Mr. Haverson would give her anything for which she would ask to remain at his club. He knew Emerald was the best there was now, maybe in the last century, at her current chosen trade. The path was hers to define. She was, after all, 'Emerald'.

* * *

After finally allowing himself to breathe, Rick called the table attendant over to ask, "Is it prohibited to ask to meet Emerald? She is absolutely breathtaking and we wish to offer our congratulation and compliments on her performance. It was spellbinding."

"Of course you can meet her, assuming her acceptance", the lady replied. "I will let her know you wish to meet with her. She will, of course, have to agree".

Rick hopes she agrees since she is intriguing beyond comprehension. It is imperative he gets to speak with her and tries to understand her allure if that is even possible. .

* * *

Rick looks up and Emerald is slowly strolling his way, gliding as if on a runway in Paris. She has acquiesced to the meeting with the honored guests, thinking it only courteous that she meets her audience. The club is not so crass as to allow lap dances or any other such lowly actions so she has no qualms about the meeting. This adherence to high standards is one reason she decided to actually consider dancing at this club.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Emerald was inexplicably drawn to Rick. The pull of her dance on him had been felt by her in return. She could not explain it, but there was an almost unstoppable attractive force between them, liked binary stars, circling each other in a never ending downward spiral. Emerald had never experienced an attraction like this before. It was even more thrilling than it normally would have been since Emerald had been achingly aware of being entirely nude when dancing for Rick. She was cognizant of an almost sexual excitement during her dance for Rick. This made her awareness of the pull of Rick even more acute.

As Emerald approaches, Rick and the other writers stand and welcome her to an open seat at the table. She graciously accepts and Rick slides her chair in as she sits beside him. She understands he is the guest of honor this evening, which is not what she needs just now, considering the attraction she is feeling.

However, she still maintains her aloof, untouchable, 'You-can't-afford-me' demeanor. She is wearing the emerald gown she started her routine with and she glows under the low lighting, the reflection off the tiny sequins giving her an ethereal aura. Her green smoky eyes glisten with the glow of the success of her dance and the ensuing gratitude of the audience and just maybe some unexplainable attraction to Rick.

Rick offers, "Hello, I'm Rick and these are my friends. If you are allowed, may I buy you a drink as a tribute to your performance? It was breathtaking."

Emerald responds with a curt, "Yes, I may have a drink and 'Yes', white wine, please". Rick immediately calls the attendant and requests Emerald's drink. Emerald graciously accepts her drink with a nod of her head. She is at once entranced with the brief contact with Rick's fingers when he hands her the wine glass. 'What is it about this guy', she ponders.

Rick continues, "Emerald you're the most fascinating woman I've met in a long time. Your dance was extraordinary and I believe you're an mystery I could never hope to solve."

Emerald simply nods in reply, not offering any conversation other than to answer simple questions. She is still Emerald and continues to cultivate the distant elegance of her stage persona. She does not break character. This makes her even more seductive to all whom she encounters in the club and specifically those at the table of honor. Given the magnitude of the lifestyle and the enthusiasm with which he lives it, Rick is more enraptured than most. He simply has to have more of her.

"Do you dance every evening?" Rick asks.

"I set my own schedule," Emerald replies. "I'm not sure when I will be here again." Kate is not sure yet how much time her modeling schedule will allow. She truly does not know, but Emerald is in control of the conversation and she divulges only what she wishes. It's her persona to be unreadable and unattainable and she embraces it with passion and zeal.

Rick asks if she will be performing again tonight and she informs him that she dances only once each evening she is in the club. (This will be one stipulation in her agreement with Mr. Haverson).

To further the Emerald persona, she thanks her guests for their generosity (Rick had given her a $100 tip for her performance) and abruptly takes her leave of the table and returns backstage to her dressing room.

Rick says softly under his breath, "My God, she is beautiful, truly extraordinary." Emerald hears him anyway and smiles internally at the compliment and the effect she has had on Rick. She can't explain yet how it is she feels the same desire.

She is overjoyed with her success tonight and wonders how far she could go in the business if she simply allowed herself to let go. She still intends to attend Stanford in the fall, but Emerald is having a lot of fun. She delights in the mastery of her audience her accomplished dance skills give her. She likes the control and dominance she has when on the stage. Perhaps Kate will let Emerald continue to play in her life for a while, maybe even after she moves on to Stanford. There is a companion club in San Francisco that she is sure she could transfer to and will still be close to her studies. Kate is living a fantasy in the guise of the assumed _nom de guerre_ of Emerald.

However, she is yet to explain the mystifying attraction she feels toward this 'Rick' individual. It is something she has never experienced before and is somewhat puzzled and possibly even frightened by the powerful emotion. Is this only an artifact of him being the guest of honor? Is it a ramification of her excitement over being the featured dancer or is it simply that she was naked in front of this attractive man? Is it a case of the money and power associated with the individuals that are members of this prestigious exclusive club? Or is there really something there, a destiny as yet to be defined, a clarity yet to be discovered?

She wishes she knew . . .

* * *

Rick is somewhat taken aback by Emerald's sudden departure. He is not at all ready for the evening with her to be at an end. His writer's imagination is taking over and he can envision all sorts of adventures that Emerald could star in. She could be a spy in disguise, an operative with CIA or work for some other agency investigating all kinds of potential dark and mysterious happenings in the clubs in which she dances. Is there a human trafficking ring involved, what about money laundering through the elite clubs with the wealthy clientele? He needs more time with Emerald, but he might already be too late for his quest.

Will he ever see Emerald and if so, what might that encounter entail?

His duties to his publisher will keep him in the city for only two more days and then he will have to leave. He wants to get home to see Alexis, but he 'needs' to see Emerald again. He will return to the Gentlemen's Club tomorrow evening if he is able to extend his invitation.

* * *

Rick and his friends stand to leave for their hotel and Mr. Haverson moves to join them as they head for the theater door.

He asks, "Mr. Castle, what was your impression of Emerald? She is my star performer and I would like your personal assessment of her performance".

"Absolutely breathtaking," Rick replies. "She is the most fascinating young woman I have ever had the opportunity to come in contact with. She is without equal as an exotic performer. She will attract a lot of attention to your club if you allow it. I know you have an exclusive membership, but she is a force not be denied. You had better give her anything she wants, or someone will commandeer her from you. By the way, will she be dancing tomorrow?"

The owner replies, "I'm not sure since Emerald sets her own schedule and I am not aware of her plans. Her performances are hers alone and I am grateful for any time she spends at my club."

Rick adds, "You have a magnificent club and truly appreciated the effort of your staff and the hospitality you have offered us this evening. Emerald is majestic and I am happy for you she has chosen your club in which to perform. Might it be possible that I return tomorrow evening to speak with Emerald again if she returns?"

Rick gets his invitation for tomorrow evening. Will he meet Emerald again, or has he missed his chance to better know this vixen of desire and mystery? He's not sure, but tomorrow evening he will commence his pilgrimage to find his Holy Grail known only to him as Emerald.


	6. Chapter 6: A New Club

Rick faithfully performs his writer's duties the next day, nervously watching the clock for his appointed quitting time. When he is finished, he goes back to the hotel for dinner and then makes his way to the Gentlemen's Club where he is greeted by Mr. Haverson, "Good day, Mr. Castle. How are you this fine evening?"

"I had a very good day today. My book sales are off the charts and I have not been arrested. All in all, a very good day", Rick laughs.

Mr. Haverson laughs heartily and without shame at the antics of Rick. He respects Rick and his accomplishments as a writer, especially for someone so young. Rick has many best sellers and is still only 28 years old. He can tell by the ease of his character and the relaxed manner of his conversations Rick is a good gentle man. However, he also sees an ornery streak in him that reminds him of who he was in his younger years. He saw the attraction he had for Emerald yesterday evening and wonders if that is the only reason he is back at his club. He will not tolerate any adverse advances toward any of his dancers, especially the new young ones such as Emerald.

He confides in Rick, "I noticed just how enamored you were of Emerald last night. She is quite extraordinary, isn't she? Do I need to remind you of the rules of deportment in my establishment? I certainly hope not because I remember what I read in the newspapers about you and some of your, shall I say, exploits."

Rick immediately counters, "I know what they write in those rags and much of it is pure hype to help sell my books. There is a definitive difference between my person and my persona. What you read is not who I am. My greatest triumph and joy is my daughter and the quiet time I spend with her. And yes you're correct; Emerald is truly extraordinary in every sense of the word. I admit I am attracted to Emerald, who wouldn't be? But I assure you I am not possessed of a nature to harm her in any way. She is so fascinating I would like to get to know her personally so I can understand who she is behind the persona of Emerald. I actually might base a book character or even a series off of her, so intriguing an individual she is".

Mr. Haverson understands Rick completely and believes he is telling him the truth. However, he will not relax his earlier statements about discretion. The discretion at his clubs is a two way street. He protects the member clientele but also his employees, especially his entertainers. Since he has the cream of the crop in dancers, he recognizes how desirable they are and how easily they could be put in jeopardy. He lets Rick know that he does not set Emerald's schedule, realizing she has commitments outside of his club. He respects all his employees and the private lives they lead. He is not the type to demand the dancers sleep with him to keep their job or position of status in his club. Neither will he allow that type of conduct from his membership. Any relationship between his entertainers will be at the sole preference of the entertainer. He also does not tolerate outside illicit activities by any of his entertainers. If Emerald is in tonight, Rick will be able to talk with her if she is willing to do so. Other than that, Mr. Haverson will not make any further promises.

Rick waits patiently for the rest of the evening anxiously perusing the club and the stage as each performer enters. However, Emerald does not show for the remainder of the night. Mr. Haverson informs Rick he will let Emerald know he was there all evening waiting for her, but will not give her any further information than that. He will not allow Rick to leave his contact information with him or anyone in the club. It is truly a protected environment.

* * *

Two days later, Emerald comes in to dance for her one dance of the evening. It is a different routine than the one for Rick and the writers, but nevertheless equally as captivating. She leaves the audience wanting more, which is exactly her intent. Leaving them wanting more is the ambition and purpose of a good entertainer. And she is the personification of good.

Mr. Haverson intercepts her back stage after she is redressed and tells her of Rick's visit. He knows that Emerald knows of his first name, so he is giving nothing away. Emerald asks, "Did he leave any way I can contact him outside of work?" Mr. Haverson replies that type of information transaction is not allowed, so unless Rick returns to the club, Emerald will not be able to find him. Emerald, or is it Kate, is disappointed since she would really like to meet up with him outside of the club. She wants to explore the feelings he summoned in her while she danced. No one else has evoked those feelings and she might want to explore exactly what could become of them. However, it looks like that meeting will not take place or even be possible at all. Mr. Haverson tells her he thinks Rick left town on his book tour the day before her latest performance and isn't sure if or when he might return. Emerald is disheartened with the knowledge she may never see Rick again. She knew he was not from L.A. by the lack of California accent, but could not determine from where he might hail.

* * *

Rick had continued his book tour the day before, leaving for Seattle and then Texas after a stopover in Denver. He was on his way back to Alexis and was excited as ever to see his little girl again. However, he could not shake the thought of Emerald and the effect she had on him. He was still mesmerized with the mystery and sorcery of this courtesan of the stage. He was completely swept up in the dominion she held over him. He was sure she would haunt him in his dreams for many years to come, so completely had she ensnared him in her web of beauty, elegance and charm. She may actually be the 'One that got away'. Would he ever find another to bewitch him the way Emerald had? Were they just two ships passing in the night, never to make the journey back to each other?

* * *

The summer was over and Kate was headed back to NYC for two weeks with her parents before on to Stanford. She had been questioned what she did while she was in L.A. and she was relieved since she felt her mom and especially her dad would have had a cow if they found out she was dancing in a high end nude club. However, they did ask about her modeling career and Kate found herself under the microscope about some of her, shall we say, more revealing assignments. In the end though, she had a very relaxing and comfortable two weeks with her parents. When it was time to head back to Stanford, she left with her father to make the journey to her dorm. He helped her move in and get settled and then hugged and kissed her goodbye until Christmas.

Once settled into Stanford, she contacted the manager of Mr. Haverson's club in San Francisco and worked out a similar arrangement with her as she had with Mr. Haverson. The manager's name was Florence (Flo, for short) and she ran just as tight a ship as Mr. Haverson. The drive to the club from Stanford was about 45-90 minutes, depending on the traffic and the fog around S.F. Emerald was excited to get back to her dancing, but only in a club where she could feel safe and secure, with no outside interferences. Her fame rapidly grew within the confines of the club, but no mention of her was ever made outside the ivy covered barrier of the brick walls of the club.

Her first dance at the new club was her favorite Bolero one. She was just as great a sensation as when she performed it in L.A. She had total control over the audience as she had back in the summer. The thrill had not diminished in the least from her very first dance in L.A. She wrote to Dani and let her know how she was doing and Dani was thrilled for her and for her success. Since Dani was instrumental in the first tryouts for Emerald, she felt a kinship with her and in how well she was doing. Because of the closeness of her feelings for Kate/Emerald, she maintained her silence and kept Kate's anonymity secure. Kate had developed some good friendships from both her modeling career and her club employment. In addition, she had a very healthy bank account due to her success at both modeling and dancing. She could work when and only if she needed or wanted to and she wanted to nearly every night, being so captivated with the empowerment the dancing afforded her. She had no issues with her studies, either, having been admitted to Stanford on an academic scholarship, being the top of her class in one of the best high schools in NYC.

After returning from her Christmas holiday trip back to New York, Kate's life was on a roll, but still, on occasion, she thought of the L.A. 'Rick whoever' and wondered who he really was, where he was and if he had found someone who made him feel like she has since the one time they had met him in L.A. Who was this mystery man and would she ever see him again? She could only wonder if fate would drive them together again, or sentence them to a destiny of drifting from one second best relationship to another. Only providence knew for sure.

. . .

_Thoughts?_

And thanks again to purplangel for her continued guidance in my writing of this story. Her direction has been extremely insightful.


	7. Chapter 7:A Paper in His Palm

Rick's book sales were doing quite well in both the U.S. and Europe. He was on a world tour right now, taking Alexis and his mother, Martha, with him to Europe. His success in Europe rivaled that in the U.S. and he was almost as popular a personality there as back home. He was becoming very wealthy due to his book sales. He was not Patterson wealthy yet, but was catching up. His tour would end back in the US on the East Coast for a couple of stops and then back to his loft in New York. After that, he would do another tour of the Midwest and West Coast in America after the Christmas holidays. He always reserved the holidays for his small intimate family gatherings. Christmas was his time for whiling away the hours with Alexis, making Christmas cookies, decorating the loft for the Holidays and just relaxing with his daughter. His mother was a Broadway actress and the holidays were always hectic for her, reserving only Christmas day for family. Rick understood and held ho hard feelings toward her due to her theatrical commitments. She lived with Rick since a ne'er-do-well absconded with Martha's bank account previously. But being able to spend time with her as much as he could was more than worth any disturbances her flamboyant lifestyle brought to his household. Alexis loved her to death and would be heartbroken if Grams moved out.

Rick's West Coast tour ended up back in California in San Francisco on the 7th of January. Once he had fulfilled his tour commitments, he remembered Mr. Haverson had a sister club in San Francisco. He called him and asked if it was possible to be allowed to go to the club with only a guest invitation. Ian assured him he would make the arrangements and to contact the doorman once he arrived. Rick completed his obligations around ten and then made his way to the club, arriving around eleven or so. He checked in with the doorman and he had one of the attendants show him to his table in the theater. His club was not quite as large as the one in L.A. but was just as elegantly appointed. He was there only to spend a relaxing evening with some high quality entertainment and no hassles from the media or paparazzi.

Think of his amazement when the announcer came on at midnight and introduced the premier entertainer, "For your viewing pleasure, the incomparable . . . Emerald".

Rick's heart immediately began to race and his breath stilled for fear of breaking the enchantment. Ethereal music commenced and while Rick did not recognize the song it was just as haunting as the melody playing when he was in L.A. He continued to hold his breath, hoping beyond hope this was 'his' Emerald. Could it be possible, could he be so lucky as to find her again after this passage of time?

* * *

A phantom slowly rose from the floor of the stage and Rick immediately knew that form. He thought his heart was going to explode; his excitement at seeing her again nearly more than he could bear. Emerald was more haunting than in L.A., if that was even possible. Maybe it was due to his despair over thinking he would never see her again, or maybe she really was more alluring, more fascinating, more confident in her authority over the audience. She still moved with the grace and aloofness of royalty, allowing no one to believe she could be touched, let alone possessed. She was, once again, the ruler of the stage, the master of the room, allowing the air to move only as necessary so those in the audience could breathe. She commanded all she surveyed, even more so than when Rick had last seen her.

Emerald had evolved to a higher plane of existence than the mere mortals comprising the audience. They existed only to serve her and give to her the accolades she richly deserved. Never had Rick seen a performance which so completely enchanted the audience. They survive to praise her, it would seem. She was beyond extraordinary, she was absolutely magnificent.

She danced fully nude for more than half her number, totally bewitching the members of the crowd. Once again she was tall and proud, moving unashamedly and without fear, enthralling each and every one who beheld her. Rick held his breath throughout nearly the entire performance, not wanting to take the chance of missing any of the details of this crowning achievement. He could study her for eternity should he be so fortunate.

As before and as had become her very nature, Emerald stood tall and proud in the center of the stage without awkwardness or discomfort, completely at ease with herself and her nudity. She was the complete woman, a vision of loveliness and grace. Never had there existed such an exquisite creature. She had captured the allure of Venus, the lust of Aphrodite, the beauty of Helen of Troy, the mystery of Mona Lisa.

As in L.A., she took her bow, graciously accepted the applause of the crowd and glided from the stage, still totally nude. She was the incomparable, mythical Emerald.

But this night was different. She had a nearly overwhelming perception of being watched by more than just the audience. What was this, never before having felt this acute sensation of an unseen presence other than the time she danced for that Rick guy in L.A.? Was it real; was this mysterious gentle man in the audience? How could she feel his presence if he was absent? She wondered, not without a hint of a thrill and a hope for another encounter in the mist of the club. She was intrigued.

* * *

Rick was almost overcome with the emotion of the moment. He called the attendant and asked her to give Emerald the message that Rick would like to meet with her with her permission. The attendant agreed and left for the dressing area.

Rick waited with bated breath, wishing beyond hope that Emerald would remember him and accept his offer of company for a brief moment. His wildest fantasy was granted when Emerald moved from behind the curtain backstage and started closing to his table. He could not believe his good fortune, having unexpectedly found his dream again.

Rick rose from the table as Emerald approached and offered her a seat beside him. He was awe-struck, actually more mesmerized than he had been in L.A. Could that really be possible? What was this power Emerald held over him? He was caught as if in a web of emotion and passion.

Emerald was feeling the same gravitational pull around Rick as she felt before. She could not explain it, but it was real. Was he the unseen spirit she had sensed while dancing earlier? Could this be her 'destiny'? Did she even believe in destiny? It certainly felt that she had been preordained to meet Rick again and being with him reaffirmed the feelings she had discovered in L.A. How could she explain this to herself? She had no clue.

Rick was the first to act. "Emerald, once again, are you allowed to accept a drink from me? I would really like to talk to you. I'm a writer and I 'm fascinated with the rare and beautiful. I find inspiration from all sources and situations. You are a most fascinating challenging person and a true inspiration. Please don't fear, I only want to talk."

"I would like a glass of white wine please. I'm not sure about any conversation," Emerald said, "I'm a very private individual."

Rick once again spoke, "Emerald, should we get to speak, I will protect your identity more passionately than this club itself does. I have no wish to embarrass you or to disclose any secrets or private information concerning you."

He continued, "Please let me meet with you outside the club to try and understand the depth of your character. I know you are more than Emerald and I want to understand what makes you tick, what you fear and what you imagine your life to be. I will absolutely not divulge any of what we talk about to anyone without your explicit permission. I would like to base at least a character in my books on Emerald. You, of course, will be allowed the final decision on any character I might base on your persona."

Emerald appeared hesitant still when she hears Rick continue, "Look, I'm just here for the story. There is always a story. Now that you are here in San Francisco instead of L.A., I would guess you are attending Stanford. A beautiful intelligent girl like you is probably taking a professional track. I guess pre-law or pre-med, right. Bet at least one of your parents is a lawyer. You are following in his or her footsteps, so probably your mother. And based on the passion I see in your dancing, your drive is to exceed her achievements . . . aspire to loftier heights . . . ", "I bet you want to be the principle in your own law firm or serve on the bench. Am I close?"

Emerald, taken aback at his uncanny accuracy but hiding it well, simply looks at him and states coolly, "Cute trick, but don't think you know me."

"I'm sorry if I offended you in anyway, like I said, there is always a story. I just am truly interested in yours. You are an enigma to me, a mystery I will never solve but need to try." Rick pleads.

Emerald isn't too impressed outwardly, but still can't control the excitement and flutter low in her stomach. She wonders how a meeting with Rick would go outside the club. She gets up to leave, not offering any recognition of his plea. However, as she leaves the table, she slips a small piece of paper into his palm and remembering her feelings for him in L.A., kisses him lightly on the cheek, stating, "Good Night," and then simply walks away without another sound. Her outward persona never broke during this time with Rick, save her confusion when he cold-read her as a pre-law student and divined her aspirations.

Will Rick call her? When will he call if he does? Will he accept her plea for anonymity? How does she calm the butterflies in her stomach? She has no answers now but can't wait to find them.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Still don't own any of this, but sure wish I had a chance with Emerald. **

* * *

Early the next day, Rick reaches out by phone to Emerald from his hotel suite. "Hey, Emerald, this is Rick. I met with you at your club last evening and wondered if you might have some time to spend with me today? I would really like to sit down with you and talk about your life. What is the force behind Emerald? Can you spare a few minutes of your time for me?"

Emerald asks, "Maybe I could give you a little time in the afternoon before I dance tonight. I can meet you at your hotel restaurant, say 2:00 o'clock?"

Rick was ecstatic. He gave Emerald his hotel information and said, "I am truly honored you trust me with your story. I assure you I will not divulge your identity in any way. Yours is too fascinating a tale to hide in obscurity. I will see you at 2, then." He ended the call and immediately headed to the shower to both clean up and cool off. Emerald excited him just by speaking to him on the phone.

* * *

Kate was delighted and excited Rick had called her. She was both curious and fearful about the attraction she had felt with Rick. He affected her in ways no one else ever had and in ways she wasn't aware existed. She could feel the vibrations in the air with him just in the room, even if she didn't know he was there. How could he set her atwitter with just his presence near to her? She had no idea, but was determined to find out.

* * *

When 2:00 rolled around, Emerald walked into the hotel dining room wearing one of Kate's modeling dresses. It was the proverbial little black dress. The emphasis was on little. The dress fit her like a thin coat of paint, reaching just four inches below the curve of her hips. Her long toned legs were on prominent display in the dress, accentuated by the black 'stripper heels' she wore with it. The dress was low cut in the front and emphasized the swell of her pert breasts. She wore her hair up in the same type of style she wore at the club. She was magnificent and well aware of her impact on the room.

* * *

Rick was already seated when she strolled in. She literally stole his breath when he noticed her. He stood and Emerald came directly to his table and Rick seated her, ever the consummate gentleman. He was honored to have her meet with him and he was determined to make her see it. He beckoned for the waitress and ordered a white wine for her and a scotch for him.

"Thanks," Emerald said, looking demurely from beneath the few strands that had escaped her hairdo. "I appreciate your generosity."

Rick was delighted and began to ask her gently about whom she was and how she developed the persona of Emerald.

"I have a lust for life which nearly forces me to attempt this adventure," she offered. "I have a wanderlust and a desire to experience all that life can offer me. Emerald is one of those experiences I will hold dear, but also close so I am protected from undue notoriety. I have no small fear I can be severely hurt even by talking to you."

Rick is quick to assure her she has nothing to fear from him. "Emerald, if I should so choose to base a character in one of my books in the future, I will most definitely require you to agree with the character and the use of her persona in my context. I wish you no harm at all. I just find you so fascinating that I can't not include you in one of my books."

* * *

Rick and Emerald talked for what seemed hours. Rick had delighted her, made her laugh and cry with glee with stories of his not so glorious exploits. They decided to have dinner before Emerald had to leave for the club and Rick asked her to his room for the meal, not wanting to share any more of her time with the increasingly crowded dining room. To his amazement, Emerald accepted.

Rick ordered dinner to be delivered to his room and then made his way with Emerald to the penthouse suite. Of course he was staying in the best room in the hotel, Emerald thought.

"Nice room, Rick" she said as she perused his accommodations. She noticed the two bedrooms of the common area in the suite and wondered what it would be like to travel in this type of luxury all the time. Thanks to her modeling and dancing success, she could stay in nice hotels, but not at this level. This guy must be loaded to live like this. She still wondered exactly who he was. All she knew was she was intoxicated with his essence. He absolutely enchanted her with his relaxed confident air and his pure gentlemanly being.

* * *

After they had dined, Rick asked her some more of her backstory but Emerald was reluctant to give him much information. She, however, was more than willing to recognize her physical attraction to him. She knew he was smitten with her, having seen it many times in her modeling gigs. She was not sure where the evening was headed, but she wanted to find out. As did Rick, not knowing Emerald was feeling the same attraction in which he was enveloped.

However, Emerald had to get back to the club for her evening performance. She asked Rick if he was going to watch her dance tonight and he replied, "How could I not be there? I am entranced with your performances and wonder how you could have learned to dance as you do and still be as young as you seem."

Rick was amazed at the talents of this young woman. She held absolute authority over him with just the look of her eyes as she gazed at him. He was a jester in her court, a servant to her whim.

He did not understand or comprehend he held that same dominion over her.

Such was the power of destiny between these two 'ships in the night'.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks again to all you wonderful readers that have been following the story of Emerald. I hope you continue to enjoy.**


	9. Chapter 9: I Dance for You

Emerald was on stage again, holding court over her subjects as she danced. However, she moved more for one person than the others; Rick was on her mind and in her psyche. She could feel him in the audience even before she found him. He was not at the table front and center as he had been in L.A. but Emerald had no difficulty finding him. His piercing blue eyes shone as a beacon, calling out to her as in the songs of old. The audience was entranced by her performance, once again feeling each was the only one in the audience, but for Emerald, there was only one in the room. She had surreptitiously disrobed during her act, leaving nothing on but her aloof aura and her emerald necklace and earrings as she danced only for him. He held her on her pedestal in his mind, venerating her to the highest place of honor he could imagine. She was his goddess, the only quest he could possibly undertake.

As in all her performances, Emerald stood tall and proud center stage, in all her natural glory, nude for all to perceive. She held the awe of all who were there, but she gazed on only one. Rick was her audience and she knew he was the flame to which she was inexplicably drawn and, understanding she could be badly burned in that flame, she could not resist; the allure was overpowering.

After her dance, she came to Rick's table without prior invitation, knowing that the request was implicit. Rick greeted her, saying, "You are always welcome at my table. Would you like a glass of wine?"

Emerald replied, "Not tonight. I'm done with the club for the evening; I would like tequila, if you don't mind."

Rick raised his eyebrow in surprise but quickly complied with the request. He requested the bottle, shot glasses, salt and lime slices from the attendant. The tequila arrived shortly and Rick poured two shots. Emerald lifted her arm and slowly licked a trail up her wrist. She poured some salt on it and then tongued the salt from the moist streak, watching Rick seductively all the time. She downed the shot and quickly popped the lime slice in her mouth, the burst of the citrus soothing the burn of the tequila in her throat.

Rick quickly followed suit, wincing at the bitter taste of the tequila. Still not breaking character, Emerald laughed, "Not so tough with the hard stuff?"

Rick laughed with her stating Scotch was his preferred drink. Emerald asked if they could leave now that her dance was done and Rick agreed. Emerald took her leave of the club manager, letting Flo know she planned on performing tomorrow evening as well. Flo welcomed her back and said she would see her tomorrow evening.

"Now, where to?" Rick asked of her.

"Let's go back to your hotel?" Emerald suggested. "It is nice and also relaxing there. We could have some time to continue our conversation from this afternoon. I would like to know about your writing, but still insist on no last names or personal secrets."

"That won't be a problem. I will only tell what kind of books I write, not the titles so you will feel more comfortable sharing some information with me. I will not try to delve in to your true identity," Rick assures her.

"OK, we have a deal then," Emerald smiles and Rick falters in his steps, seeing her smile for the first time. She is absolutely breathtaking, a smile eclipsing the Mona Lisa herself, and more mysterious.

* * *

Rick and Emerald arrive at the hotel and Rick shows her to the elevator, guiding her with a gentle hand to the small of her back. Both feel the shock as they finally come into contact with one another. Emerald relaxes back into Rick's hand and Rick's breathing hitches slightly as she does. They both are nervous but excited at the same time. Rick cannot believe he is so lucky as to have Emerald actually invite herself back to his room. She is still wearing the "little black dress" from earlier and all eyes are on her in the hotel lobby. He understands that all men in the lobby desire her and he proudly lays claim to the time he has with her. She is the ultimate goal, the Mt. Everest of female companionship. All who encounter her desire her. She is moving to the elevator with him, heading to his suite; _with him_.

What did he do in a previous life to deserve this one night with his dream?

Emerald takes Rick's arm and eagerly follows him into the elevator. They are fortunate to have it to themselves. She leans into his arm and holds him closely. For whatever reason, she feels safe and warm when in his presence. He encompasses her with a peace that is not about him wanting something from her, but is all about him wanting to give to her the comfort and safety he thinks she deserves.

This has never happened before. Most of the time, she has to be the one in control, holding off the advances of the boys in school and the men in the modeling business, keeping them at arm's length. She has found men in the modeling field think the models are there for their amusement and can have what or who they want. They think the models will do whatever is asked to advance in the business. Not so for Kate; she is in it for the fun and what money she can make before she has to settle down and become an attorney. That is where her advances will be made, and not on the beds of the modeling scouts or photographers. Emerald is her one release from the rat race of the modeling business. She is in control as Emerald.

This is not how she feels with Rick, however. He truly treats her with respect and gentility. He treats her as a goddess worthy of the respect the title demands. He fosters the bad-boy image, but she knows his gentle manner is his true nature. He adores her and it shows.

* * *

The elevator finally arrives at Rick's floor and they quickly move to his suite. Rick orders some more tequila and asks Emerald if she needs anything else to be more at ease. She says she would like to get out of her dress and into something more comfortable. She asks Rick, "Could I wear one of your shirts? It will be cover me as much as this dress and be much more comfortable. "

Rick can hardly agree fast enough. He offers one of his shirts to her and she moves to the bathroom to change. When she comes out, she is a vision of beauty and desirability. Rick thinks nothing is sexier than a woman wearing a man's dress shirt and Emerald does not disappoint. She is truly lovely but at the same time a study in sultriness. The shirt is buttoned at the center two buttons, leaving glimpses of skin at the neckline and her long toned legs.

My God, she is beautiful.

Kate has always felt comfortable in her skin. She knows she is beautiful and her height and slim figure only compliment her appeal. She honestly thinks she can get any man to do what she wants if she puts her mind to it. The persona of Emerald only reinforces this belief. She knows she could ask Rick for anything, turn on the charm and it would be hers. But there is something about this man that admonished those thoughts in her. She does not want to hurt him as she knows she could. A woman can completely undo a man if she so desires, but Kate feels a kinship with Rick. She knows Rick is honest and gentle and means her no harm. He desires to know her for herself and does not want to exploit her just for her looks or for sex. He truly cares about her.

"Hey, want another shot?" Rick asks.

"Not really, not right now anyway," Emerald replies, "I think I just want to relax and talk with you. It has been a long day. You know, Rick, for whatever reason, I feel really comfortable with you. But more importantly, I feel safe."

Rick is impressed and relieved. He does not want to cause her fear or alarm.

"I'm happy you feel that way. I mean you no disrespect or dishonor agreeing for you to come to my room. I want you to feel free to leave at any time you feel you need to, but I do want to spend time with you. You fascinate me. I have never met a young woman as intriguing as you. I am pretty sure your real name is not Emerald, but I don't care. It suite you to a "T" and I like it. You are Emerald and all that implies and it is my pleasure to entertain you in my humble abode. After all, you have been entertaining me since I first met you in L.A. I have imagined seeing you again ever since we first met in the club there. And now, here you are. I feel I, in all fairness, should return the favor."

Emerald laughs, a sweet sound that brings joy and warmth to Rick's heart. "I have been compensated very well to 'entertain' you at the club. You do not owe me any return favors for that. If I remember, you have tipped me quite handsomely for my dances. Actually, I have a very good time when I dance. I relish in the feeling of empowerment I feel when I have control of the men in the crowd. I am not a poor creature being exploited by the male gender, but am one who delights in the authority I exercise over the audience. I am in control and I decide what I do, how far my dance goes, how long I dance and on whom I bestow my attention. I danced for you in L.A. because you were the 'guest of honor'. I danced for you in San Francisco because I wanted to."

Rick doesn't know what to say about her statement, so he lets it slide.

He does say though, "You see, this is exactly what I wanted to talk about tonight. You have given me some insight in to how you feel and why you dance in the club. You are not some drugged out stripper that needs another hit, but are a beautiful powerful young woman that just enjoys dancing and the freedom it brings. I thank you for opening up to me a little."

Emerald smiles and slides closer to Rick, feeling the pull of L.A. and earlier today. She cannot explain the attraction, but cannot resist it either. He has put her at ease and she is drawn to him as a bear is to honey. She is content to just be, at least when she is with Rick. Rick is a force in and of himself and she is just as caught in his nets as he is in the ones she has cast over him.

They are bound in a web of subtle seductiveness that neither can escape nor or they inclined to try.

They only exist in the present for each other.


	10. Chapter 10: Cherished

**A/N; Moving to "M" in this chapter. Still don't own them, but if I did, they would have more fun than on the show**.

_Who am I now_, Kate thought? _Am I Kate or Emerald? I feel the persona of Emerald but I also feel the excitement and 'giddiness' of Kate. Maybe I can be both? I could be the outward appearance of Emerald and still delight in the adventure and discovery of Kate._ Good idea she thought to herself, I'll be both.

Emerald scooted even closer to Rick and said, "I would like another tequila shot now. I think I want to keep this night going. What about you, Rick?" She looked up to him demurely through her dark eyelashes, daring him to deny he wanted it too.

Rick knew he had a real vixen with him. He wanted her with all his being, but would not do anything that would drive her away, even if this was only to be a one night stand. If one night was all he could have, he would gladly take one over none. He would have to leave soon to go back home (he did still have a daughter at home whom he loved and missed very much). However, he felt he was on a fast train heading to his future and had no way of getting off of it.

Did he really want to disembark the train?

Rick looked at Emerald and poured her shot for her. They had brought all the fixings from the club and now they were doing shots again.

Emerald was becoming more relaxed with Rick in his room. The couch was soft and cozy and Emerald was falling under Rick's spell.

After her second shot, he gently took her hand and raised it to his lips. Placing a gentle kiss on her fingers, he demonstrated what he thought of her by treating her as very much the lady. Emerald was enthralled with the homage Rick was paying. She snuggled into him and Rick immediately wrapped his big arms around her and held her gently but closely. He was content to just hold her as he was, but Emerald had other ideas. She had him in her web and was about to let Kate out to play.

Kate looked up at Rick and saw nothing but adoration in his eyes. She quickly was lost in his gaze. She reached up and placed a quick kiss to his lips.

Rick could not believe his good fortune.

"Emerald, I really want to love you tonight, but if you are not sure in any way, please don't feel like you have to do something you are uncomfortable with. I am fine to simply sit here and hold you for the night."

Kate answered this time, reaching her fingers into his soft perfect hair and pulled him down into a long searing kiss. Rick took the hint and returned the kiss, passion for passion. He was very quickly approaching the point of no return and needed Emerald to know. "If we don't slow down, I'm not going to be able to stop."

Kate purrs, "I don't want to slow down," as she kissed him again. She reached down and started to unbutton his dress shirt. He was in utter shock, the woman of his dreams, the forbidden Emerald, was undressing him in his suite in San Francisco!

What reality is this?

Kate smiled at Rick's unbridled nervousness and was secretly delighted she had this effect on him. She had wondered if she could actually excite him as she was doing now. Kate was not a virgin, but she was sure she was not as experienced as Rick. Rick was one of those guys whose age was not easily discernable as he took good care of himself. He, however, was definitely not a teenager, the only guys Kate had any experience with. She hoped she was doing the correct thing tonight, but since it all felt so right, how could it not be?

Kate had Rick's shirt unbuttoned now and was sliding it off his shoulders. She could tell he was becoming aroused since he was squirming around, trying to make room in his trousers for his arousal. She smirked at his discomfort.

Rick loosened his belt and Kate dived to the zipper, helping him out of his dilemma. Rick was the one being undressed and he felt a little uneasy about it. He was not naked yet, but was getting close, down to just his socks and boxers. Emerald was still wearing his shirt and whatever she had on underneath it.

He reached for the shirt buttons, but Emerald grinned and quickly skirted from his reach. She was the master at undressing herself and would remove her own clothes in her time and in her manner. After Rick had kicked his socks off, Kate walked over to the stereo and found some moody music. She turned back to Rick and smiled at him with the look of "Emerald in Charge".

At the club, it was never apparent how Emerald removed her clothing, but in the privacy of Rick's suite with the lights up, maybe Rick could find out. He always needed the story.

Kate glided out into the center of the room and started to sway, undulating to the beat of the music. She was more passionate now, maybe even a little slutty, dancing like a stripper and not the Emerald of the club. She started to unbutton her shirt, slowly, teasing Rick with every move. She danced with the bump and grind of a seasoned stripper, moving her fingers down the row of buttons until they were undone (as was Rick, by this time). Kate turned her back to Rick and peeled off the shirt, one shoulder at a time. She slid her arms from the sleeves, holding the shirt to her chest. Rick could tell she was wearing only her deep purple lace thong under the shirt since her back was bare. Kate turned slowly around to face Rick and began to tease him with the shirt. She casually allowed the shirt to slide lower with each bump and grind she made until finally, she raised her arms and dropped it completely.

Rick had seen her fully nude on several occasion at the clubs, but she stole his breath away when she dropped his shirt. She was a vision of loveliness, a Venus of desire who danced only for him. She stood once again, tall and proud and reached lazily for her thong, turning sideways and bending only at the waist, her ass high and taut as she slid the scrap of underwear down her straight long legs. She was still wearing her heels that made her legs seem to go on forever. Rick had nearly passed out from holding his breath.

Kate kicked her thong toward Rick and laughed as he lunged to catch it. She continued until he caught her instead, pulling her down on his lap. She grabbed his neck and kissed him deeply and passionately. He probed her lips with his tongue and she opened them for him before he slid his tongue into her mouth, dueling with hers for control. This time, Kate let him win.

Kate purred, "Rick, one of us is still overdressed," and she glided off the couch to slide his navy silk boxers off his legs. Finally, they were both nude.

Kate's breath caught in her chest when Rick's erection sprung into full view. She realized now that she had only been with 'boys' in the past, having finally met a man. Rick was long and thick and Kate was getting very wet from her own arousal, trying to imagine what the night would bring. She knew if Rick loved her as well as he treated her like a lady, her night would be one that would live in her fantasies forever. She stood up and pulled Rick from the couch, not feeling the least bit awkward with her nakedness. Rick had seen her nude before, but now she wanted to be nude just for him and only with him. She wanted him naked on his bed with her wrapped up in his arms.

After standing, Rick pulled her close; with her still in her heels Kate was nearly as tall as him. They both reveled in how well they fit together; matching pieces of a puzzle, both wanting, _no_ _needing_, to find out what this unexplained mystifying attraction was between them.

Kate led him to the bedroom and pulled him down to her, not wanting to delay the sure gratification making love to him would bring. She was certain that the evening was going to be one she wouldn't forget soon, if ever.

Rick slowly caressed Kate's breast, laving it with his tongue while rolling the nipple of her other breast between his finger and thumb. Kate buried her fingers in Rick's hair, pulling him closer to her breast and holding him there. It felt so good. Kate was already very aroused and the electrifying shocks of his ministrations had her close to orgasm. All he would have to do was touch her nerve center once and she would be gone. And that is exactly what he did. He moved his hand to her thigh and slowly drifted higher, touching her once just where she needed it. Kate instantaneously convulsed and crashed into her orgasm. It wasn't waves, but a veritable tsunami of an orgasm that engulfed her. She was transported to a place where time and space did not exist.

What had he done to her? Spasm after spasm racked through her as she bucked into his hand.

Rick slowed his movements allowing her to come down from her high. Kate still wasn't sure where he had taken her, she just knew she didn't want to leave. Rick had taken her to a realm of infinite possibility, one where she was incorporeal, existing only as a disembodied spirit. She was somewhere unbelievable and she wanted to stay there.

However, Rick quietly called her name, "Emerald", and she slowly drifted back to reality.

"Oh my God", she exclaimed.

"That was amazing," they both said at the same time.

Once Kate's breathing had slowed to something approximating normal, Rick rolled over on top of her and kissed her gently again, all the while holding his weight from her. She needed to feel him press her into the mattress so she pulled him to her, relishing in his weight as he immobilized her with his bulk. Kate held him close and extended the kiss for what seemed like minutes.

Rick reached down and ran his fingers through her arousal, assuring she was still slick and wet for him. There never was any doubt. Kate lowered her hand and guided him to her center, leading him to her for their final act of love. "It's OK," Emerald whispered, "Clean, and on the pill." "Me too," Rick responded.

Rick moved gently, slowly sliding into her, stretching her as she had never been before. She gasped in the length and breadth of him. Never had she been so filled. She stilled his progress for a bit, allowing herself to adjust to his size but then she wriggled against him to let him know to start moving again.

Rick slowly slid nearly all the way out of her and then just as slowly back in. She once again gasped with pleasure at the fullness she felt as he pushed as far in as he could go. Rick was nearly overcome with how tight Emerald was, a velvet vise holding him firmly as he moved. She was exquisite, a living being made from the fabric of heaven.

Rick lifted her legs to place her knees over his shoulders, opening her more than she had ever experienced. This allowed him to deepen the penetration even more, causing Kate to moan in ecstasy.

Rick could feel himself starting to build and asked Kate, "Close again?"

"Yes," she whispered breathlessly. Kate now wrapped her legs around Rick's back, drawing him tightly to her to fill her completely. Rick sped up his movements, pushing into her faster and deeper as Kate met him thrust for thrust. Kate could only moan, all cognizant thought vacating her.

Rick was watching her, imploring smokily, "Open your eyes. I want to watch."

She did and he was immediately lost in the deep emerald of her eyes, almost black with lust, but still shining with the deep forest green which mirrored her and who she was and the necklace she was still wearing. When she looked at him with the passion and longing displayed in those pools of emerald, Rick lost it.

He pumped into her with abandon, spilling all of him into her. She immediately followed him, screaming out his name as she came; her orgasm more powerful than the last. She was lost, floating in a vacuum, gone from this world. She only existed, nothing else. They were adrift in each other's eyes, stripped as naked emotionally as they were physically.

Rick's spasms finally slowed, leaving him spent and exhausted, but fully sated. He had left all he was in this ultimate act of love. He was sure he could spend the rest of his existence proving to Emerald she was cherished and desired above all others.

Would he have the chance? He only could hope.

Rick and Kate drifted off into a deep sleep in each other's embrace, their arms and legs a tangled mess, both dreaming of the other. They lay in the bed, wrapped in each other as if they had been together for years.

Maybe they had.

Rick woke and reached for Emerald and found only a cold bed. As he rose to look around, he saw a note on the dressing table, obviously from Emerald. He reached for the note and read,

"I had to leave early. Thank you for last night, it was wonderful. I had a great time. Maybe again. I'm dancing tomorrow night, maybe just for you. 'Emerald'"

Rick was overjoyed; he would definitely see Emerald again. He wanted to see her now . . ., right now.

* * *

Rick has a couple of tour commitments early in the day of Jan 9, so he will wait until they are complete to call Emerald. He called after his commitments but she didn't answer. _Phone must be off_, he thought.

He trips happily to the club later that evening to watch her dance and to speak with her again. Hopefully, he will find out her true name.

Rick was devastated as she did not show up at the club. Rick thought it was strange since she had told him she would be dancing that evening and maybe a special one just for him. He was very disappointed to say the least.

Rick took out his phone and called the number Emerald had left him and it went directly to the network carrier, relaying the message the number is currently unavailable or out of network coverage. He calls again and receives the same message. He seeks out Flo and is informed Emerald called earlier and said she left the area and has no idea whether she will return or how to reach her. There had been a serious family matter and she had to return home to deal with it. Flo does not let slip that Emerald was sobbing on the phone when she called to inform them of her impending absence. No more information was forthcoming.

Devastation.


	11. Chapter 11: Discovery

Two years ago, Rick had been on the cusp of discovery, having met the woman of his dreams and having had one incredible, glorious evening with her. How could he continue on without Emerald, or whoever she is in real life? Will he ever find another mystery as true as Emerald to explore; will he find another one that enchants him as she does? How can he get over a fantasy that will haunt him for eternity?

He was again lost in this reality, surely never to be found. He needed a reality in which Emerald resided beside him, his mainstay and partner, his purpose.

* * *

Kate; it's not Katie anymore; is not the person she was when she left Stanford. She is lost without a compass to guide her. Her one mainstay in life, her best friend and her anchor in the turmoil of this existence had been taken so brutally from her. Her mother, whom she idolized, was the victim of "random gang violence". Or at least that is what the incompetent detectives had told her. All she knows is her mom was found stabbed repeatedly and left to die in a dirty alley in a pile of garbage. Her beautiful, caring mother was left to die alone, frightened and in unimaginable pain. Kate wondered how she could go on without her guide, her North Star, her beacon in the darkness of her despair. She was lost without an avenue to follow. Kate had no path, no future in which she could invest.

How could she endure this devastating loss?

She was at the lowest she had ever been in her life, lower than she thought a person could get. Gone was the carefree, happy Katie. Gone was the dream of a life of purpose and dedication to a greater purpose. Gone was her dream of becoming something more than she could hope to achieve. What would she do?

Kate thought over the last two years on the things that brought her happiness and joy. She thought of her life in school, carefree and without concerns. She thought about her time in L.A. and San Francisco, modeling, going to college and especially dancing as Emerald. She wondered if it would make her feel better to reprise her role as the incomparable Emerald, giving her some control back in her life since she could become someone other than broken Kate. Probably not since she was now in her home town and would be discovered if she started dancing as Emerald again. She did not need that heaped upon her with all the other heartaches she had and was enduring. No, Kate was not the effervescent wild child she had been when the Emerald persona was created. She simply was not her anymore.

She thought about this 'Rick' she met and with whom she found an unbelievable fulfillment together on that fateful night before her world came crashing down on her. She wondered where Rick might be now, where he was, how he felt about her after the night she would never forget. Did he feel the same way, had the evening affected him as it did her? Had he found another woman to keep him warm at night, to hear him laugh and listen to his dreams, to share his bed? Had he found another person on which to create a character in whatever type of literature he happened to write? She wished she knew.

All she knows is darkness, an all-encompassing gloom that pervades every facet of her life. She is dealing with the loss, not only of her mother, but also her dad, who has found an escape in the bottom of a scotch bottle. He drinks to forget and then he drinks to forget he is drinking. Her dad, the one she looked up to as the rock in her childhood, the one she never wanted to disappoint, was a blithering drunk. She had to pick him up from the drunk tank at the local jail, haul him out of bars after he had passed out on the barstool, get him to bed after he had succumbed to the demon alcohol lying on the floor of his living room. Her existence was the never-ending task of Sisyphus, never quite able to get the stone to the top of the mountain.

She had had enough. She had her dad committed to rehab so he could detox and get the counseling he needed.

Now, what did Kate need to do to get herself out from under the weight of Atlas? She could not continue to carry the entire world on her shoulders. She knew that she would never find solace until her mother's murder was solved and justice for her had been served. However, that would not happen since the Keystone Kops had decided the case was not worth actually investigating.

So, she sought to enroll in the Police Academy so she could eventually investigate her mother's murder on her own. She never once believed it was simply random gang violence. She wanted to become a detective so she could set an example as to what a real detective should be, how a real detective would empathize with the victim and would always close the case if at all within her capacity.

Kate went back to her childhood home to try to clear her mind and emotions of her mother's death before she could start the path to the NYPD. This is where she was happiest as a child, where her fondest memories lay. She cleaned her dad's house, straightened her mother's belongings that had been left as they were on that dreadful day and put the house in order for her father, should he make it out of rehab a stronger person than he was for the last two years. She knew he had a tough road ahead, but hers had not been easy during this time either. She had been nearly broken, too.

During her soul searching and, yes, cleansing also, she discovered the last things her mother had been doing. She had been investigating a case of what she had thought was a wrongful imprisonment. Was this related? She did not know since she had no further information other than the mention of the case. She also found some books that she had been reading; one was about some sort of spy character named Derrick Storm. It was apparently one of her favorites since the book was well worn and dog eared, with notes in the margins and a bookmark indicating where she was when she last read.

When Kate flipped the book over the author's picture was on the back. She couldn't breathe, her heart leapt from her breast and her skin ignited. For on the back cover was the face of Rick, her Rick, staring into her soul with those fierce blue eyes.

Now she had a name, Rick Castle.

After a quick internet search, she found he lived right here in New York City. How could she not have known this for the past two years?

A book signing was mentioned on his website that would be held in a New York Barnes & Noble set for the next week. Should she go? Would the meeting be too much for her with her fragile psyche after her mother's murder, her dad's descent into alcoholism and her just starting to pull herself together? Could she handle meeting Rick and not be caught up in the emotion of the short time spent with him on those three occasions in California?

She had to see him; she was drawn as if to an unyielding whirlpool, caught in the maelstrom of the emotion of her loss, but also her only joy in the last two years. She could not deny the perfection of the passion she had experienced with this Rick Castle on that one glorious night in San Francisco.

She would go to the book signing and seek him out. Would he remember her?

* * *

Rick was struggling with his life without a person of value in it other than Alexis. She was the apple of his eye, no doubt, but he needed and desired meaningful companionship other than his daughter. He knew that he had met the one person he sought to spend eternity with, but she had disappeared from his life in the blink of an eye. The note Emerald had left him made him think she enjoyed the night in his hotel room as much as he had. It was a night he would never forget. It was a night of wild abandon, one of lust and, maybe, the infancy of love.

It was only one night.

Rick dreamed of Emerald often and thought of her more. He wondered what happened to her that she would simply vanish without any trace, leaving behind her job and school with no mention of what happened or where she might be.

He wondered with not a little trepidation, if she was dancing for someone else now, thrilling and enthralling them as she did him. He had savored the ecstasy that Emerald could bring to one who sought her out. He was distraught thinking she could be heaping this ecstasy on anyone other than him. He was ever in her embrace, having felt her being woven into the fabric of his very being. She had become inseparable from his aspirations, his dreams, his very being. He was incomplete without her, but he knew he must continue to live his life for himself and for Alexis. After all, he depended on Alexis as much as she did him. They were a team, the dynamic duo who could overcome any obstacle in their path.

It would be nice to have Emerald with him to brighten and compliment the journey, though.

Rick had continued writing the Storm series during the last two years and was very successful. He had amassed enough wealth to be considered part of the moneyed elite now. He was sought after by many eligible and desirable women of society. He was considered in many circles as The White Whale. Whoever landed him would have pulled off the coup of the decade.

However, Rick was not looking for that dance. Sure he was often on page six of The Ledger with a usually blonde celebutante on his arm, hype perpetrated by his agent and publisher, but that was not the person he really was, especially after he had experienced Emerald and all that she was. He truly felt no other woman would measure up the benchmark she had set. She was extraordinary and no other could achieve the standard. He had been entirely spoiled for any and all other companionship.

However, Rick still had to meet his publishing obligations to maintain the financial security he sought for his daughter. He now had his mother to worry about also, since her latest, now divorced ex-husband, had absconded with her not inconsiderable life savings. Martha had moved in with Rick when she was left nearly destitute by her ex's treachery. So Rick now was responsible for his mother and his daughter.

_So, as they say, off to work we go_, Rick thought.

* * *

Rick was seated at the table of honor in the Barnes & Noble bookstore, dutifully greeting his fans, writing and signing autographs. He had given up the practice of signing bosomy women's chests after meeting Emerald, feeling he was almost cheating on her, even though neither had any claim on the other. However, the connection he had felt in California had been so all encompassing he was consumed with the sense of kinship afforded to a meaningful relationship between a man and woman who were dedicated only to each other. How did this happen and would it ever be realized again? Was he destined to ever-longing for an unrealized life?

* * *

The lines for autographs had been long and demanding that particular day. New York was a big city and he was extremely popular among his hometown residents. He had been signing books for hours and he was becoming numb, simply asking," What's your name?" or "To whom do I make this out?"

Asking one more time, he heard,

"Kate, you can make it out to Kate."

He froze, his breath caught; he knew that voice, even after all this time. He felt a chill over his skin he had not felt in two years. He looked up and there she was; a beautiful tall brunette with an incandescent smile.

However, he did not let on he had recognized her since she had not introduced herself as Emerald. So he simply signed the book and watched her move away.

* * *

Kate silently crept out of the store and quickly opened the book to read what he had signed.

**To Kate,**

**May your days be long and happy**

**And may the sadness I see be gone from your **

**Emerald eyes**

**Rick Castle**

She was overcome with the realization he had recognized her on the spot without her mentioning her persona's name. She had a reputation and image to protect now that she was in the NYPD and could not afford for him to bring up that she used to dance nude, for either fun or a for a living. If word got out, she would probably lose her chance at a detective promotion. She had worked too long for that to happen and could not allow her search for justice for her mom to be sidetracked, so she faded into the throng leaving the bookstore along with the usual masses that populated the sidewalks of New York.

* * *

Rick immediately took a break from his signing duties and nearly ran out onto the street to talk to Emerald, or Kate, or Emerald. . . .

She was nowhere to be found, but he now had hope and once again, a purpose in life. He had a name, Kate, and he also had a glimpse of an NYPD badge on Kate's belt.

She was a cop!

Now he could start to look for her and he knew not only what she did, but knew she was from the city since to be a New York police officer regulations require she had to live here or in one of the six surrounding boroughs.

Rick was on the hunt for his destiny. But why had she disappeared so quickly? There was a story there somewhere, he knew it. He knew he had to find her again, but would she allow herself to be found?

He determined not to be denied in his quest.


	12. Chapter 12: Who Are You?

**A/N: Still don't own any of this, just like to play with them for a while.**

* * *

To say that Rick 'knew a guy' was a gross understatement. He had a guy in the FBI, a guy in the CIA, a guy in the mob, a guy in the Pentagon and at Langley. And he had a guy who knew a guy in the NYPD. He called him and started, "Hey big guy, how's it going?"

"Fine, I guess," his contact replied, "Will let you know when I find out what you want now."

Rick continued, "I'm looking for someone, a woman."

"Yeah, aren't we all."

"Not like that, someone specific and she is a cop. I would guess her to be relatively new and about 21 or 22 years old. All I know is she had a shield and her first name is Kate. She is extraordinarily beautiful, long, wavy brunette hair, about 5 foot 9 with a smile that would stop a war. Think you can find her?"

"Of course, I can, but it will take a couple of days and will cost you."

"Don't care, I need to find her."

"I'll get back to you as soon as I have any information. Gonna be tough to crack the blue line for that information for someone on the outside. Will let you know."

So with that, his guy went off looking for Rick's mystery cop. His contact inside the NYPD was not in personnel, so he would have to give him time to find another cop inside personnel to help out. It would be delicate because cops are very protective of their brothers in blue.

Rick went about his daily routine as if in a daze. All he could think about was the vision that had suddenly reappeared in his life, just as she did on the stage in San Francisco. He was hoping against hope his contact would get back to him soon.

Now Rick was a big believer in magic and destiny and fate, so having Emerald, er Kate, fall back into his life was no coincidence. In fact, she had actually gone out of her way to find him, so he was thinking there must be some feelings on her side also.

He reflected back on his very brief meeting of her and realized he now found a much more mature looking woman than the one he saw in California. He also sensed a great tragedy in her, something that had affected her to the very depths of her soul. He knew there had been a story behind her sudden disappearance from the club after she had invited him to come watch her dance. He just didn't know what it was. Yet.

* * *

Kate had fled from Rick's presence, not wanting to but feeling she had no choice at the time. She desperately wanted to meet with him again, to maybe rekindle the sentiment, and maybe desire, she had felt in his hotel room. Never before or since had she felt as safe and as at peace with the world as she did back then with him.

Rick Castle, world famous best-selling author. Who would have known? How could she have fallen for a guy with this kind of backstory? What would she do now, knowing his fame could draw unwanted attention to her if they would happen to get back together? She was not Emerald anymore, but she was still a private person, even more so after her mom's death. She wanted no notoriety that might hinder her search for her mom's assailant. She just wanted justice for her.

But she also wanted Rick. Oh how she wanted him, to feel the safety and harmony she had experienced on that dark cold night two years ago in San Francisco. She not only wanted Rick, she needed him to balance the scales of her life. She needed him to help quell the raging emotions concerning her mother's murder. He could do that.

Probably only he could do that.

* * *

"Katherine Beckett, 12th Precinct," the voice on the phone said. "You are on your own now. Payment as is customary and through the same channels. Separation of church and state and all that, you see."

"Not a problem," Rick said. "There will be an added bonus for your discretion. I can't thank you enough."

Hmm, Kate Beckett? How do I get to her now? I have a guy in the phone company. Wonder if he can get her number for me?

Two days later, the text arrived, relaying a single phone number, for a cell.

"Now under what pretenses do I call her? How do I assure her that I respect her privacy and do not want to hurt her?" Rick pondered. He could simply cold-call her, but didn't want to freak her out. He could text and leave a message, trying desperately to assuage her fear so she might return his text. He could show up at the Precinct, (12th wasn't it?), to try to talk to her outside of work. Nope, stalker much?

None of these seemed like very good choices.

Maybe he would try to determine her routine, find some innocuous semi-public location where he could 'accidentally' bump into her. Guess what, he knew another guy.

He contacted his old friend Dave and asked him if he thought he could shadow a person for a week or so to set a routine for her.

Dave immediately asked, chuckling, "Rick, you didn't get a woman pregnant did you?"

Rick mumbled under his breath, "No, not this time." Would he ever have a chance to even consider that, starting a family with Kate?

Anyway, Dave said he could but would need some info first. Rick gave him what he knew and Dave said he would get back to him. Rick wasn't sure how he would know who Kate was since he did not have a picture of her for Dave's use.

"No worries Rick, that is why you pay me my exorbitant sum."

* * *

So once again, Rick was caught in a waiting game. He was going absolutely stir crazy having to wait to meet with his destiny. He had waited for more than two years before having a chance encounter and he was not going to let this chance get by. He was bound and determined to find Kate and try to make something out of the attraction he knew they both felt. He had not felt this attraction ever, for Kyra or even for Meredith. Marriage to her was a matter of responsibility and trying to provide a family he never had for Alexis. However, it was not to be, but he was sure a relationship with Kate was something that would be more. Hell, it already had been. Only one night; he had been nearly celibate since then no matter what page six claimed. He had been with only one woman since then and to be truthful she simply was _not_ Kate.

He could not explain it, but he was pretty sure she was his ever after.

* * *

Kate was beating herself up about why her compulsion to see Rick again had driven her to actually meet with him on her home turf. She worked just eleven city blocks from the bookstore. He had to know she was from the city now and dreaded whether he would somehow find out she worked for the NYPD and inadvertently cause some personnel issues for her at the precinct. She truly felt he would not do this intentionally, but secrets do slip and she could not afford to have the big one between Rick and her emerge from her past.

She went about her routine as normal, but deliberately did not go out in public any more than necessary to perform her patrol duties and travel back and forth to work. One routine she did not give up though was stopping at her favorite little bistro for her morning coffee. If she was not properly caffeinated, she was one cranky momma bear all day.

Well guess what, Dave discovered this routine also and after some continued shadowing, he relayed the information to Rick.

* * *

Perfect, Rick thought. A new game was afoot. He could meet her 'accidentally' at the coffeehouse and maybe have a quiet conversation with her. He would observe her for a time before actually initiating the meeting so he would know under what circumstances he stood the best chance.

So for the next two weeks, he watched the coffeehouse and found that Kate was very punctual with her early routine. She went to work nearly at the exact same time each morning, stopping at the bistro within three to five minutes of the same time each day.

Well at least the timing would be easy. Rick was not sure about any of the other details yet. Rick had never had this type of clandestine task research before, but nothing he had ever undertaken had meant so much as this one meeting could be. He had to be able to pull this off within the first minute or she might be gone again or at least from him. He really was curious and more than a little saddened that she had disappeared from the bookstore as she had. Why had she made the trip to the bookstore if she didn't want to see him? Why would she take off in such a hurry if she wasn't fearful of him? Did she remember the time in California differently than he did? He could only wonder if his jumbled writer's brain recollected correctly the events he has fantasized over so often since San Francisco.

He was planning to try to meet her tomorrow morning before her shift, so he needed to get some sleep. With visions of Emerald literally dancing in his dreams, he slept soundly and woke refreshed, if not just a little anxious because of his fantasy and what the day might have in store for him.

It was a momentous day for him. Can he succeed in finding his gem today?


	13. Chapter 13: Found You

"Hey," Rick offered when he found Kate standing in line at the small bistro.

A look of surprise and, maybe anticipation fleeted quickly over her face. She was also somewhat embarrassed that she had left him standing at the bookstore and it was in evidence on her face also. That was the second, or maybe third, time she had left him without saying goodbye. She felt a little ashamed and truly sorry for that kind of action on her part.

"Hey, yourself," Kate softly whispered, not wanting to bring attention to them. The coffeehouse was quite close to the precinct and therefore she was certain she needed to maintain some sort of civility to her encounter. However, she found herself being relentlessly drawn to the endless depths of his crystal clear blue eyes. They were the first thing she had noticed about him and was immediately captivated by their capacity to reach deep into her soul. How could she resist them and him?

"Kate, I just want to talk for a minute. I have thought about you often in the last two years and wondered what happened that evening in San Francisco. I came to the club to see you and found out you had left with no further information about your whereabouts. I have dreamed of this day for two years, longing to seeing you again. May I speak to you, here, at your place, over dinner, somewhere? Please?"

Kate immediately wanted to sit down with him and spend the rest of the day, but knew that wasn't going to happen. She did want to talk to him, find out what they might still have, but could not risk being so close to the precinct at the same time.

"Here," she said, holding out her hand after writing something down on a small piece of paper. She gently slid it into his palm, just as she did two years ago in San Francisco, and smiled as she left.

* * *

Rick watched her until she disappeared into the crowds of the sidewalk and then sat to enjoy his coffee and see what she left him. It was a time, and a place. She would meet him tomorrow evening at an unidentified location, having given him only an address. It was the most promising event that had crossed his path in the last two years. He was meeting with his Emerald.

* * *

Being the man of mystery he was and to maintain the level of excitement and intrigue, Rick purposely decided not to seek out the address before his meeting with Kate. He went home after finishing his coffee and tried to write. He was still working on his Storm series and wanted to continue but was fidgeting in his office, waiting for his meeting with Kate. The way she had set the meeting made it all seem very cloak and dagger in his active mind. How could he possibly wait that long?

The next day, he was up bright and early, not a small feat for him, to ensure all tasks he had to do for the day were completed early. After lunch, he jumped into his pool size Jacuzzi and spent a relaxing part of the afternoon thinking about Kate and her Emerald persona. She was still the most extraordinary person he had ever chanced upon. She was spectacular as Kate, standing there in her NYPD uniform, legs as long as Lombardi Poplars were tall. She stole his breath just being in the same room with him. He had seen and been with supermodels, Hollywood stars, society icons; but none had stirred him as did Kate. She truly is magnificent.

Four more hours to his meeting with destiny.

* * *

Kate hoped for a quiet day at the precinct. She really wanted to follow the path she had set upon in California with Rick and reflected on her abbreviated time with him there.

"What's this?" Royce, her training officer asked, after watching her for a few minutes, "Kate Beckett, all pensive today? Find a new guy?"

Kate looked back at him through her lashes, "Wouldn't you like to know."

Mike Royce simply looked sternly at her, knowing something was up. He had taken personal interest in her after having been assigned as her training officer. He saw a sad damaged woman, but also saw one with an innate empathy, one not learned. He knew in his heart Kate could be one of the best officers he would have the opportunity to guide. He knew she could easily make detective and wondered what such a beautiful intelligent woman was doing in the NYPD. However, he didn't ask, he simply took her under his wing and gave her the best investigative training he could muster. She was destined to be a fine detective, maybe even a Captain in the future. She was special to him and because of that, he cared what was happening to her, professionally and in her personal life. He did not want her hurt more than she had been to lodge the aura of sadness around her.

"Yes, I would like to know! I care about you and don't want some sleaze bag sniffing around you."

Kate rolled her eyes at him, stating, "Wonderful way you have with words there, Royce. And yes, I might be thinking about a guy. Not new though, someone I met a long time ago and just ran into him. Don't worry, he is a true gentleman."

"He better be or he will answer to all of us. You're our little sister and no one messes with you."

"Give me a break, Royce. I can take care of myself," boomed Kate. She didn't need all this nosiness and interference in her life right now. However, she knew Royce was only trying to watch out for the new kid and for someone he didn't want to get hurt.

"Sorry Royce, guess I'm just a little sensitive today. I know you are only trying to help out, but this one is on me, OK?"

"Yeah, OK. Just be careful, there are a lot of 'gentlemen in Rikers'," Royce reminded her.

Kate pondered this but was sure the owner of those deep azure eyes was not one of them. She was getting anxious for her meeting with Rick, not knowing how it might go and also, not knowing how anxious or nervous Rick was to talk with her again.

* * *

Kate left the precinct right on time to ensure she kept her appointment with Rick. She did not want to stay in case she was called to assist on a case. As soon as 5:00 clicked over on her the clock, she jumped up and headed for the locker room to change into more suitable street attire, not wanting to wear her blues to meet with Rick. She really hoped this meeting went well and wondered how Rick was feeling about the rendezvous. She was sure he did not know where they were meeting, so she wanted to be certain to arrive before him. Hopefully he would think it was a nice surprise.

* * *

When the cab stopped, Rick looked around and then back to the address Kate had given him. This can't be right! He asked the driver and he said, "Yes, this is the correct address. This is where you asked me to take you."

Rick paid the cabbie and exited, looking at the purported rendezvous place. 'What?' was all could think.

As he perused his surroundings, he spotted Kate, swinging lazily on a swing in the children's park. Why would she want to meet here?

Rick walked over to her and sat down in an open swing next to her. She smiled at his large frame in the small swing. "Filling it up there, Castle?" Kate chortled.

"If I had known you were going to meet in a kid's park, I would have suggested a different locale."

"Ok, Ok." Kate said. "No need to get testy just because you don't quite fit," looking at his rear end in the small swing.

Trying to change the subject, Rick asked, "Why did you want to meet here instead of a restaurant or coffeehouse or something like that?"

"This is a good safe place, open and public, but far from the precinct and 'inquiring minds'. I have to know exactly what you're planning in that author's mind of yours. I can't allow my previous 'persona', as you called it, to become common knowledge now that I am a police officer. I have a hard enough time in this male dominated career to have to deal with my past coming out. I was quite young then and many things have changed since that night in your hotel. I need to know I can trust you explicitly before I can even entertain the notion of furthering any relationship we might have had in San Francisco."

Rick was saddened at her words, but still optimistic after hearing Kate's explanation.

"Kate, I told 'Emerald' when we were in L.A. and San Francisco that I would protect her anonymity to the same ardor that the club did. I have mentioned you to no one other than my mother, who was thrilled I had met someone that affected me the way you have. I will not compromise your reputation, your femininity or your position as a police officer. You have haunted my dreams, brightened my worst days and given me hope I may one day find you again and fulfill my desire of cherishing you for all time. You are my destiny. I hope my zeal doesn't frighten you but I assure you I mean you no harm, in any sense of the word."

Kate was still wary, but wondered what she had done to deserve this gentle kind man in her life. She needed to find out how this relationship would blossom if she just trusted him.

She could not, nor did she want to, forget their night of passion in San Francisco. A night of true affection she had yet to realize since then.

But the past two years had hardened her soul, damaged her spirit and hidden her heart away in a dark, locked vault. She had lost the capacity to trust anyone about anything but, inside that cold dark crypt, her heart leapt at the possibility of learning to trust this man, this Richard Castle, her Rick.


	14. Chapter 14: Mr Giovanni

They sit quietly for some time in the swings, neither quite knowing how to proceed or what to say.

Rick finally offers, "Kate, I know you are fearful of what I might do with the knowledge of Emerald and the serious harm you think it could do to your NYPD career. You have to believe I will never mention anything to anyone about you or your history in California. How can I prove this to you?"

Kate replies, "I don't know. I don't think you would purposely tell anyone or put in one of your books my connection to Emerald. However, how do I know in one of your frequent Page Six dalliances you won't let it slip?"

Rick was taken aback at Kate's assertion, and somewhat hurt, also.

He replied to her, his voice deadly serious now, "Kate, I am not the person you see on page six. Sure I have had my lapses of judgment, but the page six image of me is simply a persona issued to the public by my agent and publisher to boost book sales. Nearly all of the women I have been seen with on page six are ones for the purpose of arm candy for a single night. I am not denigrating them, but they were asked by my agent, Paula, to accompany me to the book launches or premieres or charity events or wherever else you have seen in the gossip rags. Not since San Francisco have I taken one of them home with me, neither have I stayed the night with them. I have been with no one since our night in San Francisco. You have had that type of effect on me and there is nothing I can do about it, even if I wanted to. You are such a force that I have not been able to forget you or get over you. I can't move on."

Kate didn't know what to say. She was well aware there was a connection between them, but was dumbfounded at Rick actually admitting it, and to the extent he had been taken in by her charms. She had to know more.

"Rick, who do you want, me or Emerald? Are you enamored with the woman or the mystery of the character I invented in an L.A. club? I am not that person, especially now. I have changed and I'm not sure you will like who I am now."

"I'm not sure about that. I very much like what I see sitting next to me in a swing," he teased. "You are more mature now, but I see a pain and sadness in your eyes not present in San Francisco. Something dreadful happened to you, probably just after our night in San Francisco.

By the way, I like this little park, but maybe simply because you are in it with me. You are really cute in your swing, round it out very nicely, I might add."

She slapped him playfully on the arm, saying, "Quit looking at my ass."

"Hey, how can I not look at your ass? Your legs and ass are awesome. Remember, I have seen you without a stitch and you are delectable."

"How did this conversation get to here so fast, 'Ricky'? I need to know you will protect my reputation for the police force and you are focusing on my ass?"

Rick came back with, "Ok, there is something you need to know about me. When I'm nervous, or afraid, I respond with humor and joking. I will always try to lighten the mood. When I am cornered, I try to deflect the conversation with tomfoolery so I don't have to deal with the hard cold reality of the conversation. Sometimes it works, but many times I am in deeper than before. I do not want to offend you with my humor, but that is my way. Please don't hold that against me."

"Yeah fine, but you don't have to do that with me. I want to be honest with you and you with me. You can make jokes and have fun all you want until we get to a serious conversation and then I want you to be just as serious. This is one of those times. . . Oh, and thanks for the compliment about my ass," she smiled.

* * *

Once again, there is silence on both their parts. They simply sit swinging slightly, noticing they are in perfect sync with their swings. They wonder if they can get their life in the same sync.

"OK, Kate, here is what I want. I would like to meet you for a casual dinner somewhere we can be alone, but still in public. I know a lot of places like this so it won't be a problem with finding those small getaways. We can continue this line of thought there if you wish, or we can talk about anything else you might fancy. We can even go now if you would like."

"I would like that. But first, I need to tell you something. I did not intentionally avoid you or run out on you in San Francisco. I had a family tragedy and had to return home before I had a chance to talk to you. That is the sadness you referred to earlier. I felt very much as you did in California, but did not have the time to let you know. I had no idea who you were until I found your picture on the dust jacket of a Storm book. That is why I came to the book signing. As I said in L.A., I'm a private person. I have a difficult time expressing myself in words, leaning more to action to express myself. Please believe me when I tell you I felt a very powerful attraction to you in San Francisco. I would like to find out if it still exists. Let's go eat".

"But don't ogle my ass!"

Rick stands from the swing, offers her his arm and gives her his 'melt-your-heart' smile, "Can't promise anything about what I watch. Other than it will definitely be you and not any other woman out there. I can't imagine a more perfect vision than you, so if I look at your butt or your long legs, please understand you have me under your spell. It's all your fault, standing there in those skinny jeans."

Kate laughs and says, "Alright, Casanova, let's go eat."

* * *

Rick hails a cab and places his hand on the small of Kate's back to lead her to the cab.

'_Just another proof of his gentle character',_ Kate thinks. He treats her as a lady anywhere and at all times. She likes that.

They arrive at a small Italian place and Rick is warmly greeted by the portly gentleman who is the proprietor of the establishment. Rick hugs him passionately, slapping him on the back during the hug. He shows Rick and Kate to a quiet out of the way table in a secluded corner of the room. Very private.

"He obviously knows you quite well. Come here a lot?" Kate asks.

"We do come here quite a bit. " Rick answers.

"We?"

Rick smiles at the question, "Yes, we. I bring Alexis here all the time."

"Alexis?" Kate wonders if he has a woman in his life that he sees regularly. Who is this Alexis and who is she to Rick?

Rick smiles affectionately thinking about her. Kate can see he has deep seated feelings for this person. Is it an old flame, someone in his life now or in the past?

Rick looks back at the quizzical expression on her face and laughs loudly.

"Oh Kate, you should see her. She is one of the most exquisite girls I have ever seen. She is beautiful, very smart and has the most beautiful long red hair. She is my favorite lady."

Kate's face immediately fell and she looked at her plate instead of Rick. Rick just continued to smile.

"Is she someone very special to you?" Kate quietly asked, wondering if he really did have another person in his life and she was not as special as he had indicated.

Rick smiled at her and simply replied, "Yes, she is very special."

Kate was about to leave until she saw Rick's big grin, the one that consumes his entire face. He placed a hand softly on her forearm, beseeching her to stay.

"Oh, Kate, Alexis is the most important person in my life. She is the pride and joy of my existence. And… she is my…"

Kate was sure he was going to say wife or fiancée or something like that.

Rick finished his sentence, "daughter."

Kate was astonished. She didn't know he had a daughter and told him so.

"I'm very protective of her and keep her from the media circus that is my life. There is no confusion as to where she stands with my agent and publishing company. If they want me to work with them, Alexis stays out of the public eye, pure and simple. I'm protective of her, just as you are of yourself. That, Kate, is why you didn't know who she was. I'm sorry if you thought she might have been someone else, but the look on your face was priceless. And, for your information, I have never brought another woman to this place before you. It is my and Alexis' special place. We are treated to the best Italian cuisine and with the utmost privacy and discretion, much like the club in L.A. And that is how I know Mr. Giovanni so well. He is like Alexis' old great uncle. Teases her all the time, but loves her to death."

Kate wasn't sure what to think about Rick's admission. She was the first woman he had brought to his special place.

With that admission from Rick, her heart soared because now she knew just how special he finds her.


	15. Chapter 15 I Remember You

_Kate wasn't sure what to think about Rick's admission. She was the first woman he had brought to his special place. _

_With that admission from Rick, her heart soared because now she knew just how special he found her_.

* * *

They have a delightful, light Italian dinner and with a glass of wine, or three. They passed the time mostly in silence as they ate until Rick finally breaks the stillness.

"So, what now?"

"I'm not sure," Kate responds, not exactly certain where to take this 'thing' they have now. She most assuredly wanted to find out what they still had between them, but couldn't get over her fear of exposure. She had no idea what would calm those fears.

"I guess we need to ask ourselves, 'What do we really want and what will it cost us'?" Kate continued. She still felt the almost over powering gravity between the two, but needed to be assured Rick felt the same. Was he enamored with the spirit of Emerald, or was he truly attracted to her. She knows what he said, but she had walls that were nearly unscalable. Could Rick persuade her he was really vested in her and not just the idea of Emerald? She was unconvinced at the moment. How could she ensure his feelings for her?

"Well, I'm not on call tomorrow, so do you think you would like to come over to my place and continue our evening? I'm really not very far from here, so it won't take long," Kate asked.

Rick couldn't believe what he was hearing, Kate wanted him to go to her apartment and spend some time alone.

How did he get so lucky?

"Nothing could make me happier than to spend more time with you. No pressure, take everything at your pace. Let me get the check and then we can leave."

Kate excused herself to take advantage of the facilities while Rick settled up with Mr. Giovanni. Kate returned while he was still talking to him and said, "Thank you for a great evening, Mr. Giovanni. I really enjoyed your restaurant. It is the best Italian meal I've had in a long time. I sure hope Rick invites me back." She looked coyly at Rick at her last statement.

Mr. Giovanni, laughed, "You don't have to wait for Rick, you come by anytime. Rick is such a scoundrel, he might forget."

Kate laughed along with him at Rick's expense. "He really is, isn't he?"

"Ok, OK, that's enough picking on the class clown. I don't have to listen to this," Rick replied, smiling all the time. He would be the brunt of any ribbing just to see Kate smile and listen to the tinkle of her bewitching laughter. He was more and more smitten with her each minute they spent together.

He was already a lost cause when it came to her.

* * *

Rick and Kate walked to her apartment shortly after leaving the restaurant. Since it was dark and not at all crowded, Kate felt comfortable holding his arm without anyone seeing as they walked. They carried on light conversation, talking really about nothing. Soon they arrived at her apartment and Kate let them in.

Rick immediately noticed just how much like her the apartment was. It was decorated with an eclectic collection of memorabilia, mostly from her earlier days. He did notice a closed set of shutters he thought peculiar since all the others were open.

As Kate went into the kitchen, he looked around her living room, especially at the bookcase. He immediately noticed she had what looked like a complete collection of his works. He was impressed and a little humbled she thought so much of his books. He then noticed she had many of Patterson's books also, which deflated him somewhat. He would have to rib her about that.

Kate returned to the living room with a couple of glasses of wine and offered one to Rick. He accepted and sat on one end of the couch. Kate sat on the couch also, not on the other end, but not right next to him either, just a comfortable distance for them to talk without overt sensuality.

Rick asked about the closed shutters and Kate's face immediately fell. She seemed nervous and somewhat withdrawn after his question.

"I have some private stuff behind the shutters and really don't want to talk about it just now. One of these days when I feel completely safe with you, I will share it, just not now."

If this nascent relationship went as well as she hoped it would, it would be soon, though. She was beginning to think she could trust Rick with anything and he would protect it and keep her safe. A really good feeling.

Rick let the line of thought drop, but made a mental reminder to ask about it at a later date. He hoped there would be a later date.

"By the way, is it related to why you disappeared two years ago in San Francisco? I hope you didn't leave because of something I did. I certainly didn't want to do or say anything that made you uncomfortable."

Kate remained silent, not offering any kind of a hint at what was behind the shutters or whether it was related to her mysterious absence.

"OK, like I said, nothing pushy. You just take your time getting comfortable with us again. I know how I feel, but you have to be just as at ease as I am. I will ask nothing of you that you are not yet ready to give. All your call."

Kate liked Rick and his gentle, quiet but continuous pressure to further their 'relationship'.

Kate thought about what Rick just said and decided to push herself just a little out of her comfort zone. She was not yet ready for a full-blown commitment to Rick, but wanted to rekindle the intensity and passion they had both experienced in San Francisco. So she scooted closer to Rick and put her hand on his thigh, looking up through her lashes.

_God she is beautiful_, Rick thought. How could he resist her at all, not give her anything she desired?

Kate rose and went to her iPod station and selected a play list from her collection. Rick immediately recognized the songs as her music from California and the clubs.

Kate held her hand out to Rick and asked for a dance. He went willingly into her arms, wrapping her in his embrace. For the first time in over two years, Kate felt the safety of true companionship. She was amazed at the comfort Rick's arms afforded her. She knew then the fire she felt in San Francisco was still there, maybe banked for awhile, but still smoldering.

She took his hand and led him back to the couch, snuggling into him as they sat down. Kate felt the warmth and affection of Rick's embrace and wriggled into his chest even more, laying her head on his shoulder. She felt more than just a small amount of emotion with him. Ok, to be honest, she felt more for Rick than anyone in her past.

How could he affect her so much with just a hug? She needed more to find out.

She once again rose from the couch and held her hand out to Rick. He nearly jumped from the couch, following her through her small but cozy apartment, straight to her bedroom. Maybe Kate was coming out to play like in San Francisco.

Kate backed into her bedroom, bringing Rick with her. Her hands were on the buttons of his shirt as they moved to the bed. Rick thought it only fair to return the favor so he found the hem of her pullover and tugged it over her head.

God, she was even more breathtaking than he remembered. In her two years, she had matured from a teenager, albeit a beautiful wanton teenager, to a woman. Her training as a police officer had redefined her muscular frame, toning her torso to a lean sinewy body of desire. She was magnificent.

Kate had Rick's shirt off and her hands were busy with the belt and button on his jeans. She easily handled that and then moved the zipper down one tooth at a time, smirking as she drove Rick crazy with her deliberate slowness.

Kate laughed out loud as Rick pushed her down on the bed and quickly stripped her of her skinny jeans. She now was dressed in only her matching emerald green underwear.

She was not Kate but Emerald again, the vision of a goddess. He slowly finished removing his jeans, leaving only his boxers.

As he slowly slid down beside her, she pulled him to her and hugged him lovingly. Rick reached up and unsnapped her bra, taking in the sight of her as he removed it. She had woven a web of lust and, dare he say it, love around him. He was trapped with no escape.

He didn't want to escape.

Kate slid his boxers off with her toes and pulled him to her. He embraced her and kissed her deeply, ravaging her mouth with his tongue. She groaned back into his mouth as he kissed her. She was rapidly becoming very aroused and wanted Rick now.

Rick laced his fingers into the hem of her panties and drew them down her long legs. It seemed like it took forever as he slid them off her long, long legs. They were finally totally nude and Rick rolled over on his side pulling her to him. They fit like two puzzle pieces made specifically just for that purpose. He knew this would be a night like in San Francisco, not one for door banging sex, but one for slow intimate exploration. She needed him to assure her of his intent, so that is exactly what he did.

Rick licked his way down her body to where Kate needed him so badly, pausing briefly to suckle on her hard, erect peaking nipples. She was already so wet for him, the inside of her quivering thighs glistened with her arousal. She was beginning to pant due to Rick's ministrations, heading over the cliff before he even got to the apex of her thighs.

No one had ever had this power over her. It was usually hers alone to wield, to use as her weapon to control and direct any situation or relationship.

Rick settled into her and moved the flat of his tongue over her. He lapped up her juices and moved to her tiny hooded nub. Licking and sucking it into his mouth.

"Oh my God, don't stop, just don't stop," she gasped, "I'm so close."

Rick slid two fingers into her heat easily since she was so wet and slick for him already. She shuddered and clenched tightly around his fingers as her release came fast and hard, wave after wave of pleasure washing over her. She gulped for oxygen as he continued his onslaught. Finally, after what seemed an eternity to her, he slowed and brought her back down to reality.

"That was amazing!" Rick exclaimed.

"You should have seen it from my side," she gasped. "I can hardly breathe. Rick, you are just so good at that."

Rick just smiled and made his way back up her taut, firm body, stopping along the way to once again pay special attention to her breasts and nipples. She was climbing the mountain again by the time Rick made it to her lips for a deep kiss, giving her a taste of her own arousal. He laved the spot just behind her ear and heard her groan. He logged this into his 'Kate file' and moved back down her neck, sucking on her pulse point at the base of her throat.

Kate sought him out, wrapping her long slim fingers around his shaft. She pulled him to her center and lifted her hips to draw him into her.

Rick didn't have to be prompted more than once. He slowly pushed his way in, giving her time to adjust to his girth as he went. She was so tight she felt like a hot silken fist holding him. Kate arched her back to encourage him even more, not wanting him to wait.

When Rick was finally all the way in, Kate squeezed him with her silky muscles, asking him to get moving. He pulled almost all the way out and then once again slowly thrust back in. Kate could feel him bottoming out deep within her; she had never felt that before, not even with him in California. She almost came again just with that sensation.

Rick pistoned in and out of Kate, being matched thrust for thrust by her. She had her legs wrapped tightly around his hips, driving him into her harder on each successive thrust.

She was close and could tell by Rick's erratic movements that he was also.

"Rick, I'm so close, please come with me."

That ended it for him; he buried himself as far as he could and erupted deep within her with the hardest orgasm he had ever had. His pulses kept going for hours it seemed, filling her to overflowing, his seed leaking out from around his arousal, coating her thighs. His explosion sent Kate over the cliff and she screamed his name over and again as she crashed around him, clenching him tightly in her scalding velvet heat.

He did things to her she never imagined were possible.

Finally, both came back to earth and rested comfortably in each other's arms, fully sated and at peace with all things. Kate and Rick drifted off to sleep blissfully, listening to the haunting strains of Bolero coming from the distant room and dreaming only of each other.

It was heaven.

They were sure of the future that was promised to them by the destiny in which they both now believed. Kate trusted Rick and he cherished her, both resting contentedly in the knowledge of a deep shared haven of love.

* * *

Rick had grown tired of his Derrick Storm series and was at a book launch for the last book of the series, _Storm Fall_. He was being asked what he would do now and he smiled, saying he had a few ideas; one in particular was at the forefront in his mind. However, he would not divulge or even hint at the idea.

Suddenly there was a commotion in the back of the room. A beautiful lady detective was resolutely walking his way and Alexis asked, "OK, what did you do now?"

"Not sure, at least not this time," he responded back to her.

"Mr. Castle, Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD, we need ask you a few questions about a murder that took place earlier tonight." Rick could detect the slightest hint of an upward curl at the corner of her lips.

* * *

Later that evening as they languished in the huge bathtub just off the bedroom with Kate lazily nestled into Rick's secure body in the candlelight, she softly whispered to him, smiling seductively as she purred, "You know, Mr. Castle, you might remember me not as Detective Kate Beckett but as Mrs. Katherine Castle for the last four years. And you know, if you're really lucky, I may let Emerald out to play tonight, but only if you're certain you can still remember her."

The melody of her captivating dance in California was playing soulfully on the stereo when he replied, pulling her even closer to his chest,

"**Oh Yes, Emerald; **

**I Remember You."**

. . .

**A/N: Well that's it for this one. Thanks to all of you who have stuck with me during this new journey Emerald and I have undertaken. Hopefully you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Once again, thanks to all who have reviewed and made suggestions. And a very special thanks to purplangel for her excellent guidance throughout this entire adventure; a truly very special lady.**


End file.
